Flexible Container Sleeve with Barrel Curvature
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible containers, such as stand-up pouches and bag-in-box forms, lack an aesthetically appealing appearance for bulk beverage packaging, and miniature wooden kegs used for appearance enhancement add weight and logistical challenges during transportation and event setup.
Innovation Solution
A flexible container sleeve structure with an elongated sleeve defining series containers, featuring front and back panels joined along elongated sides, gusset formations for base and top, curvature for a keg/barrel appearance, and transverse separation lines for individual container creation, along with a manufacturing method involving heat sealing, imprinting, and die cutting to create a keg-like appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If miniature wooden kegs are used to improve appearance, then aesthetic appeal is enhanced, but weight increases and transportation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by creating a flexible container that replicates the visual appearance of traditional wooden kegs through printed graphics and structural design elements. The flexible material itself is lightweight, but through surface printing and shaping, it mimics the aesthetic qualities of wood and metal bands, thereby achieving the desired appearance without the weight of actual wooden construction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes flexible shells and thin films by employing a flexible material that can be formed into keg-shaped containers. This flexible material provides the necessary structural form while maintaining minimal weight, replacing the rigid wooden construction with a lightweight flexible alternative that achieves the same aesthetic purpose
2Shape
If miniature wooden kegs are used for aesthetic appeal, then appearance is improved, but logistical complexity increases due to rental and return requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the disposable principle by creating flexible containers that can be easily manufactured, filled, used, and then discarded or recycled. Unlike rental kegs that require complex logistics for return and reuse, these flexible containers can be produced economically in bulk and disposed of after single use, eliminating the rental-return logistical cycle entirely
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by designing the flexible container as a separable system where the flexible pouch can be detached from its outer sleeve or packaging. This allows the container to be used independently once opened, simplifying logistics by eliminating the need to return entire keg assemblies and enabling flexible disposal or recycling of individual components
3Ease of manufacture
If stand-up pouches are used for bulk packaging, then manufacturing cost is reduced and transportation is simplified, but aesthetic appeal is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the cost advantages of flexible packaging by using flexible materials for the container construction, while simultaneously improving aesthetics through the keg-shaped form factor and surface printing. The flexible material allows for cost-effective manufacturing and remains lightweight for transportation, while the shaped design and graphics provide the aesthetic appeal of traditional kegs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies copying by printing keg-like graphics and designs on the flexible pouch surface, thereby achieving the aesthetic appearance of expensive wooden kegs through economical printing techniques on flexible material, maintaining low manufacturing costs while enhancing visual appeal
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
The solution provides a lightweight, aesthetically appealing, and logistically efficient flexible container that mimics a beer keg or wine barrel appearance without the weight and logistical issues of traditional wooden kegs, allowing for easy transportation and separation into individual units.
Implementation Method 1
a method of manufacturing a flexible container sleeve structure including an elongated sleeve defining in series containers
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention discloses a flexible container sleeve structure, which includes an elongated sleeve defining in series containers and having front and back panels joined to each other along their elongated sides; a first gusset formation provided between the front and back panels forming a base; a second gusset formation provided between the front and back panels forming a top; and a curvature provided in the sides of the front and back panels. The containers being defined by the front and back panels and the gusset formations. The front panel may be imprinted with a graphic of a wine barrel or beer keg. The curvature is convexly curved from the top to the base, thereby adapted to assist in creating the impression of a barrel or keg.