Three-Plug Closure Seal with Pressure Relief Gap
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closures for containers exhibit high variance in the pressure required to break the seal, leading to inconsistent performance in relieving pressure and potentially causing deformation of the container neck.
Innovation Solution
A closure design featuring a three-plug structure with a cylindrical first plug, a second plug, and a third plug that includes a gap for fluid communication with ambient air, allowing for consistent seal-breaking pressure and structural support to prevent container neck deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional single-seal closure design is used, then the structure is simple, but the pressure required to break the seal varies highly and causes inconsistent performance
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into three separate sealing plugs (first plug, second plug, third plug) positioned at different radial distances from the vertical axis and different depths. Each plug provides an independent sealing interface, segmenting the sealing function into multiple stages that progressively relieve pressure, thereby reducing variance in seal-breaking pressure while maintaining a manageable structural complexity.
2Strength
If a single deep plug is used to provide sealing, then the structure is simple, but it cannot provide progressive pressure relief and may cause container neck deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is segmented into three plugs with different radial positions and depths. The first plug (radially closest) extends deepest, the second plug extends intermediate depth, and the third plug (radially farthest) extends shallowest depth. This segmentation allows progressive pressure relief as each plug fails sequentially, preventing sudden stress concentration that could deform the container neck, while the distributed configuration maintains reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each plug is positioned with specific local characteristics: the first plug is radially closest to the vertical axis and extends deepest, the second plug is at intermediate radial distance and intermediate depth, and the third plug is radially farthest and extends shallowest. This local differentiation in position and depth creates a progressive failure sequence that distributes stress throughout the container neck, preserving structural integrity while using a relatively simple multi-plug configuration.
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 three-plug closure design provides a consistent and lower pressure seal-breaking mechanism, reducing variance in pressure relief and maintaining structural integrity of the container neck, even under increased pressure from contents like carbonated beverages.
Implementation Method 1
a gap within the third plug, wherein the gap provides fluid communication between the second plug and ambient air external to the outer cylindrical wall
Data Source
AI summary
Described is one or more embodiments of closures that include a pressure-relieving feature in a third plug. In one embodiment, the pressure-relieving feature is a gap within the third plug. In another embodiment, the pressure-relieving feature includes one or more recesses within inner surface of the third plug, thereby providing fluid communication between an outer surface of the second plug and the ambient air outside the closure.