Flexible Package Tearing Opening Strip Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packaging solutions with tearing openings often experience deviations from straight tearing due to misalignment of tear-promoting notches and laser cuts, leading to increased costs and risks of damaging the package, especially when using laser systems.

Innovation Solution

A package design featuring a tear-promoting notch aligned with a pre-cut line on a heat-sealable strip, ensuring that the tear proceeds straight along the separation line between the strip's slices, preventing deviation and maintaining the package's integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If laser cuts are used to create the tearing opening, then the cutting precision is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases and the risk of package damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive laser cutting systems with a simple, inexpensive pre-cut strip that is heat-sealed to the package interior. The strip is a disposable component that guides the tear without requiring costly equipment, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining adequate cutting precision.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-cut strip acts as an intermediary element between the tear-promoting notch and the package material. It provides a controlled separation line that guides the tear path without requiring direct laser cutting of the package itself, thus mediating the tearing process to avoid both cost and damage risks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If laser cuts are used to create the tearing opening, then the cutting precision is improved, but the package may be damaged due to excessive laser power

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidpackage damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-cut strip serves as a protective intermediary that absorbs the tearing action. Instead of applying laser energy directly to the package which risks damaging intermediate barrier layers, the tear is channeled through the strip's pre-defined separation line, eliminating the harmful thermal effects on the package structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The strip is pre-cut during manufacturing with a separation line that is prepared in advance. This preliminary action creates a controlled weakness that guides the tear without requiring high-energy laser cutting during operation, thus preventing package damage while achieving precise tearing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If a single laser cut is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the tear may deviate from the straight cut due to notch misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process complexityVSAvoidtear straightness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The strip is pre-cut during manufacturing with a separation line that is prepared in advance and heat-sealed to the package. This preliminary action creates a fixed, stable guide for the tear path that is not subject to alignment issues during the tearing operation, ensuring straight tears without requiring complex real-time adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the approach from direct laser cutting of the package to using a heat-sealed strip with a pre-defined separation line. This parameter change in the manufacturing method allows for better control of the tear path through the strip's physical structure rather than relying on precise laser positioning and notch alignment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 ensures perfectly straight tearing during opening, reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating the risk of package damage, while maintaining a simple and cost-effective production process.

Implementation Method 1

a strip 3 pre-cut longitudinally into two halves or slices 4, 5 along a cutting line 6 which runs parallel to the upper edge 2 of the die-cut blank 1 or of the package 10, is disposed on the inside of the die-cut blank

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat sealing: Welding

Data Source

PatentEP2462036B1Package made of flexible material with tearing opening
Publication Date: 2017.11.29 GOGLIO
  • EP2462036B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2462036B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

There is disclosed a package for granular, pasty or liquid products, provided with a tearing opening, wherein at said tearing opening, on the inside of the package, there is applied a strip (3) pre-cut in two slices (4, 5) by a separation line (6) which extends parallel to the upper edge (2) of the package, so that during tearing the tear proceeds straight along said separation line (6).