Food Container with Perforating Insert for Dressing Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food containers fail to optimize food preservability and handling features, particularly in packaging salads, as they often lead to leakage and inconvenience in mixing dressings and ingredients during consumption.

Innovation Solution

A food container design featuring a semi-rigid insert with dome-shaped sockets closed by a film, equipped with a perforating element that allows easy release of contents into a bowl, enabling separate compartments for different foods and dressings, with a lid and kit for convenience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a multi-compartment container with separate salad and dressing compartments is used, then food preservability is improved, but leakage occurs during handling and mixing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefood preservabilityVSAvoidleakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into separate compartments: a main compartment for salad and a secondary compartment for dressing, allowing different foods to be kept separate and preserving their freshness independently

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A perforating element acts as an intermediary mechanism that controlledly releases dressing from the secondary compartment through a film barrier, preventing leakage while enabling mixing when needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a sealed container with separate compartments is used, then food freshness is maintained, but access to dressings and ingredients becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefood freshnessVSAvoidaccess to dressings
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The perforating element is pre-positioned and configured to automatically pierce the film and release dressing when the container is handled or shaken, eliminating the need for complex opening mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The container system performs the mixing action automatically through the perforating element's mechanism, allowing the user to simply handle the container without manual mixing or complex operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If a simple container design is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the ability to keep foods separate and maintain freshness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer simplicityVSAvoidfood preservability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary compartment for dressing is nested within the main compartment structure, with the perforating element integrated into the lid assembly, creating a compact multi-functional design that maintains simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The lid assembly serves multiple functions: sealing the container, providing the perforating element for controlled release, and structurally supporting the secondary compartment, reducing the need for separate components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3269662B1A food container
Publication Date: 2019.02.27 ESPERIA SRL
  • EP3269662B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3269662B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3269662B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a food container (1) comprising a bowl (2), an insert (3) and a lid (4), where said insert (3) has an upper face (6) facing said lid (4) and a lower face (7) facing said bowl (2), and said insert (3) is characterized in that it comprises at least one socket (5), where said at least one socket (5) is open towards the lower face (7) of said insert (3) and said opening is closed by a film (8) and said at least one socket (5), preferably dome-shaped, has, at the top of said dome, a perforating element (10) facing the inside of the socket itself, said insert (3) being made of a semi-rigid material, at least in the portion which forms said at least one socket (5) and said film (8) adapted to be perforated by said perforating element (10) .