Carton Liner Patch for Tamper-Evident Dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packaging solutions for food and non-food products lack effective dispensing features that maintain product freshness and quality while allowing easy and tamper-evident opening.

Innovation Solution

A carton package design featuring a liner with an inner dispensing feature and a liner patch that overlaps the dispensing feature, allowing for easy opening and resealing, combined with a carton blank that folds to enclose the liner, providing a hermetically sealed environment and easy access to the contents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a hermetically sealed package is used to maintain product freshness, then product quality is improved, but ease of opening and dispensing deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct freshnessVSAvoidease of opening

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The package is segmented into multiple functional layers: an outer carton providing structural protection, a liner providing hermetic sealing, and a liner patch providing the dispensing interface. This segmentation allows each layer to specialize in one function, maintaining freshness while enabling easy opening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The liner patch is pre-formed with a dispensing opening and attached to the liner before packaging. This preliminary preparation allows the consumer to simply peel back the pre-prepared patch to access contents, rather than requiring tools or complex actions to open a hermetically sealed package.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If a tamper-evident seal is implemented to ensure safety, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetamper evidenceVSAvoidpackage structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tamper-evident function is merged with the dispensing function by integrating the liner patch design. The same component that enables easy dispensing also provides tamper evidence through its sealed attachment to the liner and the visible opening created when removed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The liner patch design allows the package to self-demonstrate tampering through its construction. When the patch is removed to access contents, the opening itself serves as evidence, eliminating the need for separate complex tamper-evident mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If an inner dispensing feature is created in the liner, then ease of dispensing is improved, but package integrity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of dispensingVSAvoidpackage integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The liner patch acts as an intermediary between the hermetic liner and the external environment. It provides the dispensing opening while maintaining the integrity of the main liner structure, allowing controlled access without compromising the overall package integrity when closed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9156582B2Carton with opening feature

Publication Date: 2015.10.13 GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL LLC

AI summary

A package for holding a product. The package can comprise a carton comprising a plurality of panels at least partially enclosing an interior of the carton. A liner may optionally be at least partially positioned in the interior of the carton and can comprise an inner dispensing feature. A liner patch can overlap the inner dispensing feature and can be mounted on the liner for facilitating opening of the inner dispensing feature of the liner.