Tin Container Lid Ring With Detachable Membrane for Waste Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing manufacturing process for peel-off lids in metal containers results in significant material wastage and environmental hazards due to the trimming of the central surface of conventional lids, which is inefficient and unsustainable.

Innovation Solution

A method for jointly manufacturing tin containers and their lids with a detachable central membrane, where a sheet metal is pressed to form a cylindrical body, and subsequent operations such as trimming, bending, and flanging create a ring for the lid, allowing for heat sealing without the need to trim the central surface, thus reducing material usage and waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a conventional lid is manufactured and then trimmed to create a ring for the peel-off lid, then the lid structure is formed, but significant material wastage occurs due to removal of the central surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelid structure formationVSAvoidmaterial wastage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of starting with a complete lid and removing the central portion to create the ring, the invention inverts the process by directly forming the ring structure from a sheet metal blank during the pressing operation. The pressing die creates the cylindrical body with an integrated ring structure that defines the central opening, eliminating the need for subsequent trimming operations and the associated material waste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The ring structure is formed preliminarily during the initial pressing operation that creates the cylindrical body. By incorporating the ring formation into the first pressing step, the invention eliminates the need for later trimming operations. The pressing die is designed to create both the cylindrical wall and the ring structure with its central opening in a single operation, preventing material wastage before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If the central surface of the lid is trimmed and removed to create the ring, then the peel-off lid structure is achieved, but environmental hazards increase due to hazardous waste generation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepeel-off lid structureVSAvoidenvironmental hazards
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the potentially harmful trimming operation into a beneficial forming process. Instead of cutting and discarding material, the pressing operation forms the ring structure by displacing and shaping the metal blank. The material that would have been wasted is now intentionally shaped to form the ring with its central opening, transforming a harmful waste-generating operation into a beneficial forming process that creates the desired structure without hazardous waste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Productivity

If a sheet metal is pressed to form a cylindrical body and the upper part is trimmed to create the ring, then both container and lid components are obtained, but the process complexity increases with multiple operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer and lid productionVSAvoidmanufacturing process
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the formation of the cylindrical body and the ring structure into a single pressing operation. The pressing die is designed to simultaneously create the cylindrical wall, the ring structure with its central opening, and separate the container body from the lid portion. This consolidation of multiple forming operations into one step reduces process complexity while maintaining high productivity in producing both container and lid components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This method reduces material waste by 32% and provides an environmentally friendly solution for producing peel-off lids, offering economic and environmental benefits while maintaining the convenience and safety of existing packaging solutions.

Implementation Method 1

a layer of lacquer with propylene can be applied to the sheet metal to provide the later heat sealing of the central membrane to the central space of the ring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat sealing:

Data Source

PatentEP4116002A1Method for jointly manufacturing a tin container and its lid with a detachable central membrane
Publication Date: 2023.01.11 AUXILIAR CONSERVERA
  • EP4116002A1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP4116002A1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP4116002A1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for jointly manufacturing a tin container and its lid with a detachable central membrane by means of pressing a sheet metal (1) to obtain a cylindrical body (2) with a closed lower base (3) and an open upper part (4) with a circumferential rim (5). The upper part (4) of the cylindrical body (2) is then trimmed and separated therefrom, the remaining cylindrical body (2) generating a tin container (6), and the separated upper part (4) generating a ring (7), with the circumferential rim having an external edge (11), a central space (8), and an internal edge (12) demarcating said central space (8). A step (9) is made in the ring (7) around the central space (8) for supporting and sealing a central membrane (10) and flanging and bending operations for removing sharp ridges and closing edges (11,12).