Resilient Squeezable Bottle with Slit-Valve Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inverted containers with slit valves are prone to leakage, especially with lower viscosity products, due to temperature changes and residue buildup, leading to inconvenience and product loss.
Innovation Solution
A resiliently squeezable container made from PET or PP materials with a non-circular cross-section and a slit-valve design that includes a flexible central portion with slits, along with an impact resistance system to minimize leakage and maintain consistent liquid output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a slit-valve is used in an inverted container, then dispensing efficiency is improved, but leakage occurs during storage and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The slit-valve is designed to dynamically respond to pressure changes. When the container is squeezed, the valve opens to allow dispensing. When pressure equalizes during storage, the valve automatically closes to prevent leakage. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between needing the valve open for dispensing and closed for leakage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve's opening pressure differential is optimized to a specific range (50-200 mbar) that allows it to remain closed during normal storage conditions but opens reliably when the container is squeezed. This parameter optimization enables the valve to distinguish between storage pressure and dispensing pressure, resolving the leakage issue while maintaining dispensing efficiency.
2Productivity
If the container is emptied, then product dispensing is completed, but leakage becomes more problematic due to air expansion
Solution Approach 1:
As the container empties and air replaces liquid, the internal pressure dynamics change. The optimized valve opening pressure differential (50-200 mbar) ensures that even with air expansion from temperature changes, the valve remains closed unless the container is actively squeezed for dispensing. This parameter optimization maintains leakage prevention throughout the product lifecycle.
3Reliability
If a secondary sealing cap is added to prevent leakage, then leakage resistance is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sealing function from a separate secondary cap and integrates it directly into the slit-valve structure itself. The valve's flexible central portion with slits provides the sealing action inherently, eliminating the need for additional sealing components and simplifying the overall device while maintaining leakage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The slit-valve structure serves multiple functions: it controls dispensing flow, provides sealing during storage, and responds to pressure changes. By combining these functions into a single integrated component rather than separate parts, the device complexity is reduced while maintaining reliable leakage prevention.
4Ease of operation
If the slit-valve is made less resistant to leakage, then ease of operation is improved, but leakage during storage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve opening pressure differential is precisely optimized to fall within 50-200 mbar. This parameter range ensures the valve opens easily when the container is squeezed for dispensing (improving ease of operation) but remains closed during storage even when subjected to temperature-induced pressure changes (maintaining leakage resistance).
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 solution significantly reduces leakage during storage and transport, ensuring a consistent and controlled dispensing of liquid detergent compositions, maintaining product quality and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a resiliently squeezable container (10) for housing a fluid, the resiliently squeezable container comprising a wall (11)
Implementation Method 2
the orifice (30) comprises a slit-valve (40)... when pressure within the container raises above a predetermined amount, the valve head shifts outwardly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The need for a bottom dispensing package (1) comprising a base (20) having an orifice (30) comprising a slit-valve (40), which is less prone to leakage, even when a lower viscosity product is comprised in the container, is met by providing the container with a more elastic resiliently squeezable container.