Laundry Scent Additive Package With Vented Dosing Cup Retention

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current packaging designs for particulate laundry scent additives are prone to dosing cup separation during handling, leading to incomplete products, potential spills when consumers test the scent, and inconvenience in dispensing with two hands.

Innovation Solution

A package design featuring a container, closure, and dosing cup with a shrink sleeve wrapping around the container and dosing cup, where the dosing cup has a tapered portion and a vent opening, allowing scent sampling without opening the package and ensuring secure engagement during handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the dosing cup is peripherally snapped to the closure, then the dosing cup is positioned conveniently for use, but the dosing cup may become separated from the closure during shipping or handling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of dosing cup positioningVSAvoidsecure engagement of dosing cup

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple engagement mechanisms: the peripheral rim of the dosing cup is both peripherally snapped to the closure and axially secured by the shrink sleeve. This merging of radial and axial engagement methods creates a redundant securing system that prevents separation while maintaining convenient positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The shrink sleeve is applied beforehand to the closure and container before the dosing cup is attached. This pre-applied sleeve provides a redundant engagement mechanism that is already in place to prevent separation during shipping or handling, cushioning against the potential failure of the peripheral snap alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Ease of operation

If the consumer opens the closure to smell the product, then the consumer can verify the scent is desirable, but product may be spilled or exposed to the environment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to sample scentVSAvoidproduct spillage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the scent-sampling function from the main closure opening. By providing a separate vent opening in the dosing cup that is in fluid communication with the container interior, the system allows consumers to smell the product through the vent opening without opening the main closure, thus preventing product spillage while enabling scent verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The vent opening acts as an intermediary pathway between the container interior and the external environment. It allows air and scent molecules to pass through while blocking the passage of particulate laundry scent additive, serving as a mediator that enables scent sampling without direct access to the product.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the consumer handles three separate elements (container, closure, dosing cup), then the product can be securely packaged, but dispensing requires two hands which is inconvenient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure packagingVSAvoidconvenience of dispensing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the dosing cup and closure into a single functional unit by peripherally snapping the dosing cup to the closure. This combination reduces the number of separate elements the consumer must handle from three to two, improving dispensing convenience while maintaining the secure packaging benefits through the additional peripheral engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If the vent opening is covered by the shrink sleeve, then the shrink sleeve provides complete sealing, but the particulate laundry scent additive may escape through the vent opening

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing integrityVSAvoidparticulate additive escape

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different qualities to different parts of the packaging system. The shrink sleeve provides a sealed appearance and protects against environmental factors, while the vent opening maintains a specific local quality of being uncovered to allow airflow and prevent particulate escape. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between sealing integrity and particulate retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 design prevents dosing cup separation, allows consumers to sample the scent without opening the package, and enables convenient one-handed dispensing, reducing product loss and enhancing user experience.

Implementation Method 1

a shrink sleeve wrapping around the container and the closure and at least a portion of the tapered portion of the dosing cup wall

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal contraction: Thermal Contraction

Data Source

PatentUS10138041B2Package for laundry scent additive

Publication Date: 2018.11.27 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

A package for a particulate laundry scent additive.