Bag Rack with Hooking Assembly for Single-Person Food Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In grocery or food deli settings, packaging large preprocessed or precooked food items like rotisserie chickens is inefficient as it often requires two people to hold and place the items into storage bags, leading to inefficiencies in packaging processes.
Innovation Solution
A bag rack system comprising a base assembly with side bars and crossbars, a hanger assembly for supporting storage bags, and a hooking assembly to hold open storage bags, allowing single-person operation for packaging by enabling easy access and loading of items into bags.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If one person packages large food items manually, then labor cost is reduced, but packaging efficiency deteriorates due to difficulty in holding open storage bags
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging system is segmented into distinct functional components: a base assembly for stability, a hanger assembly with multiple storage bags, and a hooking assembly for holding bags open. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, enabling single-person operation while maintaining high packaging speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The hooking assembly acts as an intermediary device between the packer and the storage bag. It holds the bag open without requiring the packer to use their hands, thereby mediating the packaging process to eliminate the bottleneck of manually holding bags while maintaining fast packaging speed.
2Productivity
If two people are used for packaging, then packaging efficiency improves, but labor cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hooking assembly provides self-service functionality by automatically holding the storage bag open once attached. The system serves itself by maintaining the bag in an open position without requiring human intervention, thereby eliminating the need for a second person while preserving high packaging efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The hooking assembly serves as a mechanical intermediary that replaces the human hand function. Instead of requiring a second person to hold the bag, the hooking assembly mediates the process by mechanically maintaining the bag open, reducing personnel requirements while sustaining productivity.
3Ease of operation
If storage bags are held manually, then bag control is maintained, but operational efficiency deteriorates due to continuous hand usage
Solution Approach 1:
The hooking assembly performs the preliminary action of holding the bag open before the packaging process begins. By pre-establishing the open bag position, the system eliminates the continuous time loss associated with manually maintaining the bag open, allowing the packer to immediately proceed with filling without hand intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The hooking assembly acts as an intermediary device that takes over the bag-holding function from the packer's hands. This mediator maintains bag control and keeps the bag open throughout the packaging process, freeing the packer's hands and eliminating time loss while preserving full bag handling control.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of using a bag rack. A method of using the bag rack may include, but is not limited to, the steps of hanging the storage bags on the bag rack, opening the front most storage bag, holding open or propping open the storage bag using a bag hooking mechanism, placing the food item(s) or any other types of item(s) into the storage bag, removing the bag hooking mechanism, if used, closing the storage bag, and removing the filled storage bag from the bag rack. The bag rack may include a bag rack that is formed of a base assembly and a hanger assembly on which multiple storage bags may be hung.