Integrated Bag Shipping Pack for Recyclable Loose-Fill Produce
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging solutions for loose-fill produce and small items are not recyclable, do not prevent moisture ingress or odor egress, and are susceptible to insect and rodent infestation, leading to inefficiencies and environmental waste.
Innovation Solution
A container blank with an integrated deployable interior bag, made from recyclable materials, that forms a folded shipping pack with a sealed base and open mouth, using fold lines for easy assembly and adhesive bonding to secure the bag within the pack, ensuring all volume is utilized and providing moisture and odor resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional packaging materials are used for loose-fill produce, then packaging is readily available and easy to manufacture, but the packaging is not recyclable and does not prevent moisture ingress or odor egress
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging combines an exterior carton made from cardboard or paperboard with an interior bag made from biodegradable or compostable material. This composite structure provides both moisture/odor resistance and recyclability, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture.
2Reliability
If plastic packaging is used to wrap individual items, then product protection is improved, but environmental waste increases and recyclability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameters from conventional plastic to biodegradable or compostable materials. The interior bag is made from materials that can decompose naturally, reducing environmental waste while maintaining product protection through the sealed bag structure.
3Volume of moving object
If folded shipping packs are used for storage and transport, then space efficiency is improved, but assembly complexity at the point of filing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is pre-assembled in a folded configuration with the interior bag already positioned within the exterior carton. The fold lines are pre-marked and adhesive strips are pre-applied, allowing for quick and easy assembly at the point of filing without complex procedures.
4Reliability
If adhesive bonding is used to secure the interior bag, then packaging integrity is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive strips are designed to be self-aligning and self-adhering. The exterior carton and interior bag have complementary adhesive surfaces that automatically align when brought together, reducing the precision requirements for adhesive application while maintaining packaging integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A container blank (1), so sized and shaped as to form a shipping pack having front (2) and rear (3) walls to which there are attached, along respective fold lines (2a, 2b, 3a), side wall sections (11, 12;16, 17) each being foldable so that said front and rear walls are in juxtaposed alignment, wherein an interior open-mouthed bag (30) is adhered to the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls. When a shipping pack is erected from said container blank, the folded interior bag (30) is deployed to align with the inner volume of said erected pack so as to provide an open-mouthed container with open-mouthed interior bag to be filled and subsequently sealed for dispatch. The shipping pack is configurable in a folded flat stackable form having an interior bag in situ for storage or dispatch and is easily machine assembled or manually formed into an open-mouthed shipping pack at point of use.