Flexible Composite Food Container with Shaping Coefficient
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food storage containers, such as cans and jars, face challenges including inefficient space usage, high energy consumption in production and transport, risk of injury, and inability to be printed directly for information or promotion, leading to a need for improved dimensionally stable and long-lasting foodstuff containers.
Innovation Solution
A closed container made from a sheetlike composite with a specific layer sequence of an inner polymer layer, a barrier layer, and a carrier layer, characterized by a shaping coefficient within a certain range, which allows for dense and space-saving storage with minimal impairment and extended storage times, and can be produced with reduced production faults and downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional cans and jars are used for food storage, then structural stability is achieved, but space efficiency and energy consumption deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible laminate structure composed of multiple thin layers (polymer layer, barrier layer, and carrier layer) that can be formed into container shapes. This flexible film approach replaces rigid cans and jars, achieving comparable structural stability while dramatically reducing material weight and production energy consumption. The laminate structure provides necessary mechanical strength and barrier properties through its multi-layer composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite laminate material consisting of at least three different layers with distinct functions: a polymer layer for flexibility and sealing, a barrier layer for protection against moisture and oxygen, and a carrier layer for structural support. This composite structure achieves the required structural stability and protective properties while using minimal material, thereby reducing energy consumption in production and transport.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional jars are used for food storage, then durability is achieved, but storage density and transport efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible laminate container can be collapsed or compressed when empty, allowing for extremely dense storage and transport. Multiple empty containers can be nested or stacked in a fraction of the space required for rigid jars, dramatically improving storage density and transport efficiency while maintaining the same storage duration capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible container design allows empty containers to be nested within filled containers or stacked compactly, maximizing space utilization during storage and transport. This nesting capability enables highly efficient logistics and warehouse space management compared to rigid jar systems.
3Reliability
If conventional cans and jars are used for food storage, then containment capability is achieved, but safety and ease of opening deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible laminate container eliminates sharp edges and rigid structures that cause injury during opening. The flexible material can be opened by simple tearing or peeling actions, significantly reducing the risk of cuts and punctures to consumers while maintaining effective containment of the food product throughout storage.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional jars are used for food storage, then reusability is achieved, but transport cost and complexity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible laminate container can be collapsed when empty and nested within other containers, reducing transport volume by up to 90% compared to rigid jars. This dramatically lowers transportation costs and energy consumption for returning empty containers to distribution centers, while the containers remain fully reusable for multiple filling cycles.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a closed container, delimiting an interior from an exterior, wherein the closed container comprises a sheetlike composite; wherein the sheetlike composite comprises a layer sequence, comprising as mutually superposed layers in a direction from an. inner face of the sheetlike composite to an outer face of the sheetlike composite a) an inner polymer layer, b) a barrier layer, and c) a carrier layer; wherein the closed container is characterised by a shaping coefficient, determined according to the method described herein, in the range from 1.0 to 10.0 m2/kg. Further, the invention relates to a method by which a closed container with a shaping coefficient is obtainable; to the closed container obtainable by this method; to an apparatus, designed for producing one of the afore¬ mentioned closed containers; to a use of a sheetlike composite for producing one of the afore¬ mentioned closed containers; and to a use of one of the aforementioned closed containers for storing a foodstuff.