Folded Liner With Sealer Strips For Simultaneous Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
The efficiency of online grocery home delivery and click and collect services is hindered by the limitations of plastic bags and liners, which restrict the simultaneous movement of multiple goods, leading to increased unloading times, higher greenhouse gas emissions, and accessibility issues for elderly and disabled consumers, while also posing risks of damage and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A liner comprising a sheet of flexible, strong material with alternating folded portions and sealer strips that compress to form a compressible cavity, allowing multiple goods to be lifted and unloaded simultaneously, while being leak-proof and protecting against spills and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plastic bags or plastic liners are used to bundle goods together, then ease of unloading is improved, but load capacity is limited and structural damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is divided into a base portion and multiple folded portions that can be independently configured. The alternating folded portions create multiple compartments that can accommodate different types of goods, distributing the load effectively and preventing structural damage while maintaining ease of unloading.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner transitions from a two-dimensional flat sheet to a three-dimensional structured container through alternating folded portions. This dimensional transformation creates vertical and horizontal structure that significantly increases load capacity while maintaining the ease of operation associated with flexible liners.
2Productivity
If plastic bags or plastic liners are used for bundling goods, then simultaneous movement of multiple goods is enabled, but single-use plastic waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liner material properties are changed from conventional single-use plastic to a reusable material composition. This parameter change in material selection allows the liner to maintain its functionality for multiple uses, eliminating plastic waste while preserving the ability to simultaneously move multiple goods.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the liner after single use, the design enables recovery and reuse of the liner across multiple delivery cycles. The alternating folded portions and sealer strips are designed to withstand repeated use, transforming the liner from a disposable item to a reusable asset that maintains productivity without generating plastic waste.
3Loss of substance
If goods are placed loose within crates without bundling, then plastic use is reduced, but unloading efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful plastic components are extracted and removed from the liner design, replacing them with reusable material alternatives. This extraction of single-use plastic elements eliminates environmental harm while the retained structural features (folded portions and sealers) maintain unloading efficiency through reusable bundling functionality.
4Ease of operation
If individual goods are unloaded from crates, then accessibility for elderly and disabled consumers is improved, but unloading time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is segmented into multiple folded portions that create accessible compartments for different goods. This segmentation allows consumers with limited mobility to easily access specific items without having to move the entire load, maintaining accessibility while the overall liner structure enables simultaneous unloading of multiple items to reduce total time.
Data Source
AI summary
A liner comprises: a sheet of material wherein said sheet of material has: a base; a first portion, said first folded portion formed of one or more alternating folds; and a second portion, said second folded portion formed of one or more alternating folds; a first sealer strip, said first sealer strip joined to said sheet of material as to compress one end of said first portion and said second portion; and a second sealer strip, said second sealer strip joined to said sheet of material as to compress one end of said first portion and said second portion; an opening between said first portion and said second portion; a compressible cavity, said compressible cavity having an unexpanded state and an expanded state.