Reclosable Container Zipper Removal for Separate Recycling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Re-closable containers with zippers often contain high plastic content, exceeding recycling limits, making them difficult to recycle without damaging the container body.

Innovation Solution

A re-closable container design featuring notches and laser scoring to facilitate tearing off the zipper from the container body along defined lines, allowing separate recycling of the zipper and container without additional tools.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a zipper is added to a paper-based laminate container to enable re-closability, then the container can be used multiple times and kept safe from environmental influences, but the total plastic content increases to about 25%, exceeding the 15% recycling limit for paper-based pouches

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvere-closabilityVSAvoidplastic content

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The container is segmented into separable components: the paper-based laminate body and the plastic zipper. The zipper can be completely removed from the container body through the tearing mechanism, allowing the two components to be recycled through different streams independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The zipper is extracted as a removable component from the container system. Through the notch and tearing line mechanism, the zipper can be completely separated and taken out from the paper-based laminate body, enabling independent recycling of each material type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

If the zipper is made of plastic different from the container body material, then both components should not be fed to the same recycling stream, but this requires additional separation effort and complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecycling stream compatibilityVSAvoidseparation process

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container structure itself provides the separation mechanism through the integrated notch and tearing line. The user can easily separate the zipper from the container body without requiring additional tools or complex separation processes, making the system self-servicing for recycling preparation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If a notch is added to enable zipper removal by tearing, then the zipper can be separated from the container body, but the container body must be designed to resist accidental ripping while allowing controlled tearing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvezipper removalVSAvoidcontainer body integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The container body has different structural properties at different locations: the notch area is designed with reduced strength to enable easy tearing for zipper removal, while the rest of the container body maintains full strength for normal use and resistance to accidental ripping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The notch and tearing line are pre-formed during manufacturing, preparing the container for future zipper removal. The tearing line is pre-defined through laser scoring or micro-perforations, so that when the user applies force at the notch, the tearing propagates along the predetermined path without requiring the user to determine where to tear.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Manufacturing precision

If laser scoring or micro-perforations are added to define the tearing line, then the tearing process is controlled and precise, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetearing line definitionVSAvoidmanufacturing process

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The traditional mechanical tearing process is replaced with laser scoring or micro-perforations created by laser. This substitution provides more precise control over the tearing line path and reduces variability in the tearing process, while the laser technology is already widely available in packaging manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Enables easy and efficient separation of the zipper from the container body, ensuring the container meets recycling criteria and preventing accidental damage during the tearing process.

Implementation Method 1

the tearing line includes laser scoring for supporting propagation of the tearing off along the tearing line

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser: Laser

Data Source

PatentUS20260048918A1Re-closable container with zipper

Publication Date: 2026.02.19 RECKITT BENCKISER FINISH BV

AI summary

A re-closable container 1 comprises a container body 5 having an opening at an upper end for receiving and retrieving at least part of a content of the container body 5 and a zipper 3 for selectively closing and releasing the opening. The zipper 3 has a zipper line 11 along which the zipper extends from a first side 13 to a second side 15 of the container body 5. A notch 17 is arranged underneath the zipper line 11 and at the first 13 or/and at the second side 15 of the container body 5, wherein the notch 17 is configured to remove the zipper 3 by tearing off the zipper 3 from the container body 5 along a tearing line 19.