Hinged Door for Secondary Material Insertion in Sealed Packages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional appliance packaging designs require disassembly, re-opening, and reassembly to insert sample or adjunct materials, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and often inefficient due to logistical constraints and limited labor at manufacturing centers.
Innovation Solution
A hinged door on the outer surface of the primary package allows for the insertion of adjunct materials without opening the primary packaging, maintaining the primary contents in a closed position and orientation, using a die-cut and re-closable 'trap door' feature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional packaging design is used, then the package can be sealed and shipped, but inserting adjunct materials requires disassembly and reassembly which consumes high time and labor
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging system is segmented into a primary package and a separate secondary package for adjunct materials. The secondary package can be inserted through an opening feature in the primary package without disassembling the primary package, thus improving insertion efficiency while minimizing time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The opening feature is pre-designed and pre-positioned in the primary package during manufacturing. This preliminary action allows for easy insertion of secondary packages later without requiring any disassembly or reassembly operations, thereby improving productivity and reducing time loss
2Productivity
If traditional packaging design is used, then the package structure is simple, but the process requires high labor intensity for disassembly and reassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging system is divided into distinct segments (primary package and secondary package) with a defined interface (opening feature). This segmentation enables efficient insertion operations while keeping each component's structure relatively simple and manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The opening feature serves multiple functions: it allows insertion of the secondary package, maintains the structural integrity of the primary package, and enables sealing after insertion. This multi-functionality improves productivity without significantly increasing overall device complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If adjunct materials are shipped to manufacturing centers, then local assembly is possible, but shelf-life efficiency is reduced due to logistical constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The primary package is prepared with the opening feature during manufacturing, allowing it to be sealed and shipped immediately. The adjunct materials in the secondary package can then be inserted later at any location, preserving their shelf life by avoiding premature transportation to manufacturing centers while maintaining assembly flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
Separating the primary package from the secondary package allows them to be manufactured and shipped independently. The primary package can be sealed and distributed while the adjunct materials remain in their secondary packaging until needed, optimizing both logistical flexibility and shelf-life efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
The present exemplary system and method relates to a feature upon the exterior of a corrugated package that allows an access secondary to the primary opening feature for the inclusion of sample materials that are added after the package has been sealed at the contents' (e.g., appliance) place of manufacture. The benefits of the invention are reduced unit operations and labor to include sample materials. Additionally, the packaging feature will deter theft of sample materials from the product to the point of sale. The theft deterrence is achieved via a tamper-evident label covering the feature after sample materials have been inserted.