Lid Clamping Mechanism for Low-Waste Support Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging methods for non-perishable products like fruits and vegetables require excessive material usage and are visually unappealing, as they often involve wrapping films or bags around supports without flanges, leading to inefficiency and waste.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for applying a lid to a support containing a product, which includes a supporting element and a closing element that moves between positions to clamp and fix a lid to the lateral walls of the support, reducing material usage and allowing for more efficient packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a covering film is wrapped around the support multiple times to achieve secure packaging, then the packaging reliability is improved, but the material consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the flange structure from the support and applies it directly to the container opening, eliminating the need for excessive wrapping material. The flange provides a dedicated attachment surface that secures the lid without requiring multiple film layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a linear wrapping approach (multiple layers around the container) to a dimensional attachment approach (flange extending from the container opening to provide a broad attachment surface for the lid).
2Ease of manufacture
If a lid is fixed to the outside of the support using adhesive labels or elements, then the packaging can be assembled, but the visual appearance becomes unappealing
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is pre-formed as an integral part of the container structure during manufacturing, eliminating the need for subsequent adhesive application steps. The lid attaches directly to this pre-prepared flange structure, improving both assembly ease and appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange merges the container structure with the lid attachment function into a single integrated component, eliminating separate adhesive elements and creating a clean, unified appearance.
3Loss of substance
If supports without flanges are used to reduce material usage, then material consumption decreases, but prior art apparatuses configured for applying closing films to flanges cannot be used
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is designed with universal compatibility, allowing existing apparatuses configured for flange-based closing film application to work with this container type. The flange provides standard attachment points that interface with conventional packaging equipment.
4Reliability
If excessive wrapping material is used to package supports without flanges, then packaging reliability is improved, but waste increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The flange structure is extracted and applied directly to the container opening, replacing the need for excessive wrapping material. This provides a focused, efficient attachment point that secures the lid without generating waste.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for applying a lid (2) to a support (3) containing a product. The apparatus (1) comprises a supporting element (10), having a contact portion (13), and a closing element (11), having a fixing portion (17), which are movable between a home position and a working position, in which the closing element (11) is partly inserted into the seat (12) having one or more lateral surfaces (16) defining the contact portion (13). When the two elements (10), (11) are in the working position, the fixing portion (17) is in the seat (12) and the two portions (17), (13) are coupled for clamping a part of the lid (2) and a part of at least one lateral wall (5). The fixing portion (17) is configured to fix the part of the lid (2) and the part of the lateral wall (5) which are clamped.