Waterproof Container Seal Groove for Serviceable Moisture Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing containers fail to maintain a watertight seal under varying environmental conditions, such as vibrations, and often require a permanent seal that makes servicing or maintenance of contents difficult, as traditional sealing methods can be compromised by pressure changes or deformation, leading to water penetration.

Innovation Solution

A waterproof container design featuring a base and lid with a channel and slot system, where a seal with a flared groove is used to create a reliable seal without requiring excessive pressure, allowing for easy assembly and maintenance while minimizing the risk of water intrusion, even when subjected to vibrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If plastic laser welding is used to seal the container, then a permanent watertight seal is achieved, but the container cannot be opened for servicing contents

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewatertight sealVSAvoidaccessibility for servicing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing system is divided into separate, removable components: a lid portion with a seal and a base portion with a receptacle. This segmentation allows the lid to be detached from the base for servicing contents while the seal remains intact on the lid, enabling maintenance without compromising the sealing capability when reassembled.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The seal is designed as a recoverable component that remains attached to the lid when the lid is removed from the base. This allows the seal to be reused multiple times across different servicing cycles, maintaining its sealing function without being discarded or destroyed during the opening process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If seal material is used to create a watertight connection, then moisture protection is achieved, but the container may warp providing water penetration points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemoisture protectionVSAvoidcontainer shape stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The seal uses a flexible membrane or film structure that can accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the container without causing warping. The flexible nature of the seal allows it to adapt to minor dimensional changes in the rigid container portions, maintaining the sealing function while preventing stress-induced deformation of the overall container structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP4167695A1A waterproof container
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP4167695A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4167695A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4167695A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A waterproof container is provided, the waterproof container including a base portion, the base portion having a base; an outer wall extending from the base; and an inner wall disposed inwardly from the outer wall, thereby forming a channel between the inner wall and the outer wall; and a lid portion, the lid portion having: a slot within the lid portion; and a seal configured to fit within the slot, the seal including a groove therein, wherein the groove of the seal is configured to accept an end of the inner wall therein when the lid portion is affixed to the base portion.