Device Apparatus System and Method for Separating Components of a Multi-Component Food Item
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Solution Overview
Problem
The food and beverage industry faces challenges in maintaining the quality of multi-component food items during packaging and delivery, as components often experience unwanted inter-effects such as cooling, heating, drying, and wetting, leading to issues like sogginess and loss of crispness or freshness.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising separators and a connection strip that allows for the separation of food item components, preventing contact between them, made from materials like paper, cardboard, or plastic with fluid-resistant and insulating properties, and designed to accommodate various shapes and forms of food items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If components of multi-component food items are packaged together without separation, then the packaging structure is simple, but unwanted inter-component effects occur such as cooling, heating, drying, and wetting leading to sogginess and loss of crispness
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging structure is divided into multiple compartments or sections that physically separate different food components. Each compartment can hold specific ingredients (e.g., wet ingredients, dry ingredients, temperature-sensitive items) preventing them from contacting each other, thus eliminating unwanted inter-component effects while maintaining a relatively simple overall packaging design.
Solution Approach 2:
Separating barriers or dividers are introduced as intermediary elements between food components. These barriers prevent direct contact between incompatible food items, blocking harmful thermal and moisture transfer while allowing the packaging to remain structurally simple and easy to assemble.
2Reliability
If separators are used to prevent unwanted inter-component effects, then food quality is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Thin, flexible separating barriers are used instead of rigid dividers. These thin films can be easily molded into various shapes, conform to different food item geometries, and are simple to insert into packaging. They effectively prevent moisture and heat transfer between components while adding minimal structural complexity to the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
Separators are constructed from composite materials that combine multiple functional properties in a single component. For example, materials that provide both thermal insulation and moisture barrier properties, or structures that are both rigid enough to maintain separation and flexible enough for easy assembly, thereby reducing the number of separate components needed.
3Temperature
If components are separated to maintain temperature and crispness, then food freshness is improved, but the packaging and handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional features are combined into single integrated components. For example, separators are designed to simultaneously provide thermal insulation, moisture barrier, and structural support functions. Packaging containers are designed with built-in separation features that eliminate the need for additional insertable dividers, simplifying the overall handling and assembly process while maintaining temperature control.
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
The solution effectively maintains the quality of food items by preventing unwanted inter-component effects, such as sogginess and temperature changes, thereby enhancing the freshness and crispness of the components.
Implementation Method 1
The device may be made of paper, card board, plastic, aluminum, and/or any material or combination of materials that may prevent unwanted inter-component effects to some or all of the components of the sandwich/hamburger
Implementation Method 2
the outer layers may, for example, be made of a metallic (e.g. tin foil, aluminum paper) or plastic/polyethylene (sticky stretchable nylon) sheets, optionally having liquid/fluid resistance/proof and/or substantially high heat insulation characteristics
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a device, apparatus and a method for separating components of a multi-component food item, wherein two or more separators connected to each other by a connection strip, partition among three or more parts or components of a food item. One or more of the separators, or dividers, include at least one element to collect, block and/or absorb, food components related fluids, thus preventing their propagation and unwanted inter-component effects caused thereby.