Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging solutions for food and chemical products do not efficiently allow for the combination of ingredients to be prepared at a desired temperature with minimal effort, often leading to incorrect formulations and potential loss of components during mixing.
Innovation Solution
A packaging system with material-tight chambers and a predetermined breaking point, equipped with a thermal element that enables energy transfer, allowing for the combination and temperature control of ingredients within the packaging, ensuring accurate mixing and temperature regulation without external power sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple ingredients are stored separately in chambers for later mixing, then formulation accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is divided into multiple material-tight chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber) that are separated from one another. Each chamber stores individual ingredients or components, ensuring they remain isolated until mixing is required. This segmentation enables precise formulation control while maintaining a relatively simple overall package structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal element is positioned within or adjacent to the chambers in a nested arrangement, allowing heat transfer to the ingredients without requiring separate external heating equipment. The thermal element can be integrated into the packaging structure itself, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining formulation accuracy.
2Temperature
If a thermal element is integrated into the packaging, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal element is merged with the packaging structure, combining the heating/cooling function with the container. This integration allows temperature control of the ingredients directly within the packaging without requiring separate external thermal processing equipment, thereby improving temperature control while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal element enables the packaging to self-regulate the temperature of its contents. By integrating the thermal element directly into the packaging structure, the system becomes self-sufficient for temperature control, eliminating the need for external power sources or additional temperature control equipment.
3Ease of manufacture
If chambers are formed from a continuous film with detachable layers, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable connection between film layers is pre-formed during manufacturing, allowing the packaging to be easily assembled while ensuring material-tight seals. The breaking points are predetermined and designed to fail at specific locations, ensuring reliable separation when intended while maintaining seal integrity during storage and transport.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution simplifies the preparation of products by ensuring ingredients are combined in precise proportions and at the desired temperature, reducing the risk of incorrect formulations and enabling easy, efficient production of fresh products like baby food or chemical products.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal element (6), which, in an activated state, causes a flow of energy out of or into at least one of the chambers
Implementation Method 2
The thermal element is a heating element which has a phase change medium and an activation element
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a packaging (1), comprising a plurality of chambers (2, 3) separated from each other in a material-tight manner, wherein the chambers (2, 3) contain different substances, and comprising at least one predetermined breaking point (4), which is formed between two chambers (2, 3) adjacent to each other in such a way that breaking of the predetermined breaking point (4) enables mass transfer of the substances of the chambers (2, 3) adjacent to the predetermined breaking point (4), wherein the packaging (1) also has an activatable thermal element (6), which, in an activated state, effects energy flow from or into at least one of the chambers.