Double Container Packaging for Seafood Waste Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current packaging solutions for consumable products, particularly seafood like molluscs and crustaceans, contribute to environmental pollution and public health issues due to unmanaged waste and odors, which existing packaging designs fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

A double-container packaging system where a hermetically sealed outer container serves as a waste bin for the inner tray-shaped container, allowing for reclosure and secure storage of waste, including seafood shells, preventing odor and liquid leakage, and facilitating recycling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional single-container packaging is used for seafood, then the packaging structure is simple, but waste and odors are not contained, causing environmental pollution and public health issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental pollution and public health risksVSAvoidpackaging structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The packaging is divided into two separate containers: an inner container for holding seafood and an outer container for collecting waste. This segmentation allows the waste to be contained separately from the food, preventing odor and pollution while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner container is placed inside the outer container, creating a nested structure. The inner container holds the seafood, and the outer container serves as a waste bin that collects shells and other waste after consumption. This nesting approach efficiently uses space and ensures waste containment without requiring additional external waste containers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the outer container is designed to serve as a waste bin, then waste containment is improved, but the container requires hermetic sealing to prevent odor escape

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveodor containmentVSAvoidhermetic sealing requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The packaging system is designed as a disposable unit where both the inner and outer containers are intended for single use. The outer container serves as a temporary waste bin during and after consumption, then the entire package is disposed of. This approach eliminates the need for complex reusable sealing mechanisms while effectively containing odors during the critical period of waste generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Ease of operation

If the inner container is made removable from the outer container, then ease of consumption is improved, but the waste collection function depends on proper placement back into the outer container

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer removabilityVSAvoidwaste collection mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The outer container is designed to automatically serve as the waste collection point once the inner container is removed. As consumers eat from the inner container and place shells and waste directly into the outer container, the system self-manages waste collection without requiring additional mechanisms. The design relies on natural consumer behavior rather than complex mechanical waste collection systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2935040B1Packaging for consumable products, especially food products
Publication Date: 2018.10.10 MALOUX JEAN LOUIS
  • EP2935040B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2935040B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2935040B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a pack for consumable products, in particular foodstuffs, comprising a double container (1), said double container (1) having a longitudinal axis (1) and comprising a first, external container (10) which is composed of a body (18) that extends from a base (17) and encloses an internal space, said first container (10) being provided with a neck (16) having an filling opening (13) and a closing means (15), and a removable second, internal container (20) that is arranged in the internal space in the first, external container (10). According to the invention, such a pack comprises a first, external container (10) that has a one-piece wall (11), and a second, internal container (20) that has in each case at least one wall (21, 22) which is flexible or rigid, said second, internal container (20) consisting of two parts in the form of tubs (31, 32) which extend longitudinally along the longitudinal axis (1) and which are closable one (31) on the other (32).