Snap-fit Valve Cup Retaining Ring for Pressurized Plastic Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional closure systems for pressurized bottles, particularly aerosol containers, are difficult to remove and costly due to metal construction, making it challenging to develop alternatives for plastic containers that can handle pressure and aerosol delivery systems.
Innovation Solution
A snap-fitment system comprising a valve cup with radially extending fingers and a retaining ring with lips that snap-fit together, allowing secure attachment to a container flange, enabling easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining pressure integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional metal closure systems are used for pressurized bottles, then pressure containment and sealing reliability are improved, but manufacturing cost and difficulty of recycling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to plastic, specifically using polypropylene for the bottle and compatible plastic for the closure system. This allows the system to maintain pressure containment capability while significantly reducing manufacturing cost and improving recyclability, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite construction with a polypropylene bottle body and a separate plastic closure system that interfaces with the bottle's neck structure. This composite approach enables optimized performance for each component while maintaining overall system reliability and economic viability.
2Reliability
If conventional metal closure systems are used for pressurized bottles, then sealing reliability is improved, but recyclability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to plastic throughout the system, including the bottle body and closure components. This uniform plastic construction maintains sealing reliability through proper design of sealing interfaces while dramatically improving recyclability, as plastic components can be separated and recycled more easily than metal-composite systems.
3Strength
If metal aerosol bottles are used, then pressure resistance is improved, but cost and environmental impact worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to polypropylene plastic for the bottle body. The plastic material is selected and designed to achieve the necessary pressure resistance through proper wall thickness and structural design, while reducing cost and environmental impact compared to metal construction.
4Ease of operation
If snap-fit retention rings are used instead of permanent metal seals, then ease of assembly and disassembly is improved, but pressure containment reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the retention function from a permanent metal seal and separates it into a distinct snap-fit retention ring component. This allows the closure system to be easily assembled and disassembled through snapping actions while the retention ring maintains pressure containment through its interference fit with the bottle neck, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The snap-fitment system provides a cost-effective and recyclable solution for attaching closures to pressurized plastic bottles, ensuring secure sealing and easy removal, reducing material costs and facilitating recycling.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one lip of the retaining ring is snap-fitted about the at least one radially extending finger of the valve cup such that the retaining ring and valve cup are thereby connected as a single distributable unit
Implementation Method 2
a cylindrical portion configured to move the at least one radially extending finger into, and to hold the at least one finger in, a closed position about the container flange
Data Source
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AI summary
A snap fitment system (400) for attaching a closure (300) such as a valve body- to a container may include one or more fingers (310) attached to the valve body and held in a securing position about the container by a retaining ring (200).