Flow-Wrap Wrapper With Longitudinal Weakness Line for Frozen Confection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional frozen confection packaging fails to effectively contain drips and flakes, leading to messes on consumers' hands and clothes due to the loose fit and lack of a designated opening for easy access during consumption.
Innovation Solution
A flow-wrap wrapper with a line of weakness on the front face, positioned adjacent to the frozen confection product, allowing for controlled access and capturing of drips and flakes, which corresponds to 5-95% of the product's cross-sectional outline, providing a snug fit and preventing messes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a traditional flow-wrap wrapper is used with a loose fit around the frozen confection product, then the wrapper is easy to manufacture and apply, but it fails to contain drips and flakes, causing mess on hands and clothes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flow-wrap wrapper made of flexible film material that conformally wraps around the frozen confection product. The flexible nature of the thin film allows it to adapt to the product shape while providing containment for drips and flakes, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and effective containment.
2Ease of operation
If the wrapper is opened by pulling it apart from the product, then the product can be accessed, but the wrapper cannot capture components that fall off during consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The wrapper is segmented into two functional parts: a sealed portion that maintains containment and an opened portion that allows product access. The line of weakness creates a controlled opening that separates the access function from the containment function, allowing consumers to access the product while the sealed portion continues to capture drips and flakes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a longitudinal dimension to the opening by creating a line of weakness that extends along the length of the wrapper. This longitudinal opening allows product access while maintaining the wrapper's containment capability in the transverse direction, where the sealed edges continue to enclose the product.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the wrapper fits snugly against the product contours like a cardboard box, then it would capture drips and flakes effectively, but it would be more complex to manufacture and apply
Solution Approach 1:
The flow-wrap wrapper uses a flexible thin film that naturally conforms to the product contours through the wrapping process, achieving a snug fit without requiring complex rigid structures. The flexibility of the film allows it to adapt to the product shape while maintaining containment effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrapper transitions from a dynamic state during manufacturing where it is formed and wrapped around the product, to a static fitted state during consumption. The line of weakness allows controlled separation when needed, providing dynamic adaptability while maintaining a simple overall structure.
4Ease of operation
If the opening in the wrapper is larger to allow easy access to the product, then the product can be accessed more easily, but the wrapper becomes less effective at containing drips and flakes
Solution Approach 1:
The opening is extended in the longitudinal dimension rather than increasing the transverse opening size. This allows product access through the length of the wrapper while maintaining the transverse seal that prevents drips and flakes from escaping, effectively decoupling access ease from containment effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a wrapped frozen confection product comprising a frozen confection product and a wrapper, wherein the wrapper comprises a front face, a back face, and sealed ends, the back face having a longitudinal seal running between the sealed ends, characterised in that the front face of the wrapper has at least one line of weakness defining an opening through which the frozen confection can be removed and the line of weakness is positioned adjacent to one face of the frozen confection product, with the proviso that the line of weakness does not traverse the circumference of the wrapper.