Bag Rack Assembly With Hooking Device for One-Person Food Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inefficient packaging of preprocessed or precooked food items, such as a rotisserie chicken, often requires two people to hold open a storage bag while loading the item, leading to inefficiencies in grocery or food deli settings.
Innovation Solution
A bag rack and dispensing system featuring a base assembly with side and crossbars, a hanger assembly, and a hooking device that allows one person to easily hold open and load storage bags, which are removably engaged with the hanger assembly and include a resealable opening for convenient packaging and dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If one person attempts to hold open a storage bag and load a large food item simultaneously, then the packaging process can be performed by a single person, but it becomes difficult to hold open the bag and load the item properly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bag holder as an intermediary device between the person and the storage bag. The bag holder has a clamping mechanism that securely holds the storage bag open, allowing the person to load food items without needing to manually hold the bag open. This mediator device resolves the contradiction by providing stable bag support while keeping the operator's hands free for loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag holder is designed to be self-adjusting and self-holding through its clamping mechanism. Once the bag is placed in the holder, the mechanism automatically maintains the bag in an open position without requiring continuous manual intervention. This self-service capability allows single-person operation while maintaining proper bag positioning for easy loading.
2Ease of operation
If two people are used to package a large food item, then the food item can be properly loaded into the storage bag, but the packaging process becomes less efficient and requires more personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The bag holder serves as a mechanical intermediary that replaces the need for a second person to hold the bag open. The device provides stable, hands-free bag support with its clamping mechanism, allowing one person to perform both the bag-holding and loading functions that previously required two people, thereby improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human hands holding the bag with a mechanical clamping system. The bag holder uses springs and clamps to provide the holding force that previously required human effort, transforming a manual two-person operation into an automated single-person operation and improving packaging efficiency.
3Shape
If a storage bag is held open manually during loading, then the bag can be positioned for loading, but the operator's hands are occupied and loading becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The bag holder acts as an intermediary device that takes over the function of holding the bag open. The device includes a positioning mechanism that maintains the bag in the correct open position during loading, freeing the operator's hands for the loading task. This resolves the contradiction by providing stable bag positioning without occupying the operator's hands.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag holder separates the bag-holding function from the loading function. The device has distinct components: a clamping mechanism for holding the bag, a positioning structure for maintaining opening position, and a support base for stability. This segmentation allows each function to be optimized independently, ensuring proper bag positioning while keeping the operator's hands free for loading.
Data Source
AI summary
A bag rack and dispensing system and method of packaging and dispensing items, such as food, is disclosed. The bag rack and dispensing system includes a rack that is formed of a base assembly and a hanger assembly on which multiple storage bags can be hung. A method of using the bag rack and dispensing system for packaging and dispensing food items includes, but is not limited to, the steps of hanging the storage bags on the rack of the bag rack and dispensing system, opening the frontmost storage bag, holding open or propping open the storage bag using a hooking device, placing the food item(s) or any other types of item(s) into the storage bag, removing the hooking device, if used, closing the storage bag, and removing the filled storage bag from the rack of the bag rack and dispensing system.