Viscous Liquid Container with Anti-Adhesion Surface and Venting Cap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Squeeze bottles with flat caps do not allow for easy venting of replacement air, leading to trapped air bubbles that hinder product dispensing, and residual viscous products often remain in the bottle due to adhesion issues, making it difficult to fully evacuate the contents.
Innovation Solution
A bottle design with a modified inner surface to reduce adhesion using anti-adherence compositions or three-dimensional structures, combined with a valve and vent system that allows for air intake to equalize pressure, ensuring efficient product dispensing and minimizing residual product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the bottle is designed with a conventional inner surface, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the amount of residual product left in the bottle is high
Solution Approach 1:
The inner surface of the bottle is treated to change its surface energy characteristics, making it non-stick or low-adhesion. This parameter change in surface properties allows viscous products to release more completely without requiring a complete redesign of the bottle geometry, thus reducing residual product while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle inner surface is pre-treated during manufacturing with anti-adhesion coatings or surface modifications. This preliminary action ensures that the surface is prepared in advance to minimize product sticking, preventing residual product formation before the product even enters the bottle
2Productivity
If the bottle is inverted for dispensing, then the viscous product can flow toward the opening under gravity, but air becomes trapped in the head space making the bottle not continuously ready for dispensing
Solution Approach 1:
A vent mechanism is incorporated into the cap assembly to extract and allow trapped air to escape from the bottle. This separate air venting function enables the air to be removed independently from the product dispensing action, making the bottle continuously ready for dispensing without requiring inversion or manual air expulsion
Solution Approach 2:
The vent mechanism acts as an intermediary between the trapped air and the external environment. It provides a controlled pathway for air to escape while maintaining product containment, facilitating the removal of air that would otherwise trap product and prevent dispensing
3Ease of operation
If the cap provides a flat base for support, then the bottle can be rested in dispensing orientation with product adjacent to the opening, but replacement air becomes trapped between the product and the dispensing opening
Solution Approach 1:
The cap assembly is segmented into functional zones: a flat base portion for stable storage positioning, and a separate vent mechanism portion for air removal. This segmentation allows the cap to simultaneously provide storage convenience through the flat base while enabling productivity through the integrated vent that prevents air trapping during dispensing
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 enables continuous readiness for dispensing and significantly reduces residual product in the bottle, allowing for easy evacuation of viscous liquids by reducing adhesion and facilitating air venting, thus improving product application efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the inner surface is modified to reduce adhesion between the inner surface and a viscous liquid
Implementation Method 2
a vent opening... drawing replacement air through the vent opening... normalize the atmospheric pressure in the container
Data Source
AI summary
A container for the storage and dispensing of viscous liquids having an opening with a valve, a vent, and a modified inner surface.