Crushable Pack with Non-Return Closure for Hygienic Juice Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for extracting juice from fruits or crushing solid products like biscuits are messy and unpredictable, often resulting in residue on fingers and unpredictable juice direction.
Innovation Solution
A crushable pack with interconnected side panels and a non-return end closure mechanism, featuring hingedly connected end flaps that prevent product removal, allowing for compression to extract juice or crumbs efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fruit is squeezed manually to extract juice, then juice can be obtained, but residue is left on fingers and juice direction is unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pack as an intermediary device between the user and the fruit. The pack contains the fruit and provides a controlled interface for juice extraction through a dispensing opening, preventing direct contact between fingers and juice/residue while directing juice flow through the controlled opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the juice extraction function from manual finger squeezing and transfers it to a mechanical compression system. The pack allows compression of the fruit contents through external force applied to the pack structure, separating the extraction mechanism from direct hand contact.
2Reliability
If a non-return end closure mechanism is added to prevent product removal, then product containment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end closure flap is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed - it can hinge open to allow product insertion, then automatically returns to a closed position to prevent removal. This dynamic behavior provides effective containment while maintaining relatively simple structure through elastic recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure mechanism is self-actuating through elastic recovery. After the product is inserted and the flap is pushed open, the elastic properties of the flap material cause it to automatically return to the closed position without requiring additional components or manual intervention, providing containment function with minimal structure.
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 cleaner and more hygienic extraction of juice or crumbs from fruits and solids, preventing product escape and allowing directed dispensing, suitable for kitchens and bars.
Implementation Method 1
the end flap being hingable in one direction into said volume to allow said insertion of said product and being prevented from hinging in the other direction without distortion out of said volume thereby to prevent said removal of the product
Implementation Method 2
the pack is compressible to reduce said volume in use of the pack, the method comprising the step of fully inserting the product past the end closure mechanism into said volume, the end closure mechanism prevent subsequent removal of the product back past said end closure mechanism, and the method further comprising the step of compressing the pack to reduce the volume and to crush the product to produce a juice or crumb
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a pack which has interconnected side panels (11), (12) defining a volume for receiving a product (25). The pack has an opening at one end which is at least partially closed with a non-return end closure mechanism in the form of a flap (17). The product (25) can be pushed past the flap into said volume, but cannot be removed without distorting the flap (17).