Folded Bag Gusset Design for Compact Storage and Easy Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bag packaging systems require bags to be at least as wide as the container, leading to ungainly packaging, shipping, and storage issues, and the overlapping of folded gussets makes it difficult to open and deploy bags, especially when the container width is large, as there is no air path for the bag to open effectively.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves forming bags with non-overlapping simple and compound gussets that create an inherent air channel between the gussets, allowing for easier opening and deployment, and reducing the folded width to be significantly less than the open width, enabling bags to be deployed over wider containers and stored more compactly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If bags are made with conventional folded gussets that overlap, then the folded width is reduced, but the bags become difficult to open and deploy because there is no air path for effective opening
Solution Approach 1:
The gusset is divided into multiple segments (first gusset portion and second gusset portion) that are positioned on opposite sides of the bag. These segmented gussets do not overlap when folded, creating space between them that forms an air channel, thus resolving the contradiction between reduced folded width and ease of opening.
Solution Approach 2:
An air channel is introduced as an intermediary element between the folded gussets. This air channel allows air to enter the bag during opening, enabling the bag to deploy effectively without requiring shaking or manual manipulation, thus solving the ease of opening problem while maintaining compact folded dimensions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If bags are made at least as wide as the container, then the bags can be deployed over wide containers, but the packaging, shipping, and storage become ungainly due to large folded width
Solution Approach 1:
The bag is designed with segmented gussets that can be folded compactly without overlapping, significantly reducing the folded width. This segmentation allows the bag to maintain its ability to deploy over wide containers while reducing its storage and shipping footprint to a fraction of the original size.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag folds into a compact nested configuration where the segmented gussets are positioned to create a space-efficient folded form. The bag can be nested within itself or packed tightly, enabling easy storage and shipping while maintaining full deployability over wide containers when opened.
3Volume of moving object
If multiple gussets are added to reduce folded width further, then the folded width decreases, but the bag structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The gusset is segmented into portions that follow a systematic folding pattern. This segmentation reduces folded width effectively while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured using conventional bag-making processes, thus resolving the contradiction between compact folded size and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gusset portions are designed with asymmetric folding characteristics where the first and second gusset portions are positioned differently on opposite sides of the bag. This asymmetric design enables compact folding without requiring symmetric complexity, simplifying the overall structure while achieving reduced folded width.
Data Source
AI summary
A folded bag comprising a front side, a rear side, and left and right sides connecting the front and rear sides, each side having a top edge and a bottom edge; a plurality of left simple gussets and a plurality of right simple gussets formed in each of the left and right bag sides, respectively, wherein each simple gusset includes first and second outwardly-extending wings formed by respective first and second outwardly-extending folds and separated by an inwardly-extending fold; and a bottom edge seal subsuming all of the bottom edges such that the simple gussets are restrained from unfolding at the bottom edge seal and are unrestrained from unfolding along the top edges of the front, rear, and left and right sides. One or more of the simple gussets may be converted to a compound gusset by additional longitudinal folding, thus reducing further the folded width of the bag.