Nested Food Tray Sealing for Sterilization and Easy Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ready-meal packages with two separate sterilized food components face issues with headspace minimization, leading to difficulties in mixing and consumer convenience, as well as risks of quality deterioration and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a main container and a secondary container nested inside, sealed with a single protective film using distinct sealing heads for perimetric and inner seals, allowing for differentiated strength and tightness characteristics to facilitate easy opening and prevent humidity migration during sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single tray with two compartments is used to separate food components, then sterilization quality is improved by preventing humidity migration, but headspace is minimized leaving no free space for mixing components
Solution Approach 1:
A secondary container is nested inside the main container. The secondary container holds one food component (typically the liquid/semi-liquid condiment) while the main container holds the other component. This nesting arrangement allows the package to be filled to minimize headspace for sterilization, while still providing a separate compartment that can be easily removed to enable mixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The package is segmented into two distinct containers (main container and secondary container) that are physically separable. The secondary container can be removed from the main container, providing a free space for mixing the two food components. This segmentation maintains the benefits of separation during sterilization while enabling easy mixing at consumption time.
2Reliability
If heat sealing is used to attach the covering film with high strength, then sterilization tightness is improved, but film removal difficulty increases for consumers
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing is segmented into two distinct sealing operations: a first perimetric seal around the outer perimeter and a second inner seal around the secondary container. The first seal is made with high strength to ensure sterilization tightness, while the second seal is made with lower strength to facilitate easy film removal and secondary container extraction by consumers.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sealing qualities are applied to different regions of the package. The perimetric seal (first seal) has high strength characteristics to ensure sterilization integrity, while the inner seal (second seal) has lower strength characteristics to enable easy opening. This local differentiation of sealing quality resolves the contradiction between tightness and ease of opening.
3Strength
If high sealing pressure is applied to ensure resistant seal for sterilization, then seal strength is improved, but risk of damaging plastic wall increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing process is divided into two sequential sealing operations. The first sealing head applies high pressure to create the perimetric seal, while the second sealing head applies lower pressure to create the inner seal. This segmentation of sealing operations allows high pressure to be applied only where necessary for sterilization integrity, without unnecessarily exposing the plastic wall to damaging high pressure throughout the entire sealing area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sealing pressures are applied to different regions. High sealing pressure is applied at the perimetric seal location to ensure sterilization resistance, while lower sealing pressure is applied at the inner seal location to prevent plastic wall damage. This local differentiation of sealing pressure resolves the contradiction between seal strength and damage prevention.
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 method ensures effective sterilization, easy opening, and reduced production costs while maintaining food quality by allowing for a more accessible and convenient mixing process for consumers.
Implementation Method 1
The attachment of the covering film is typically obtained by heat sealing, carried out by conduction through a heated sealing head that is lowered on top of the film, exerting a given pressure for a given dwell time.
Implementation Method 2
The sealing thus carried out must of course ensure characteristics of sufficiently high strength and tightness, both in view of the sterilisation in an autoclave and of the subsequent conservation of the product.
Implementation Method 3
The package can be filled completely so as to minimise the headspace, after which it is sealed by a covering film and sterilised in an autoclave.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for preparing a sterilised ready-meal package, comprising the steps of: providing (100) a main container defining a main volume intended to accommodate a main food product, and having a first opening at the upper part surrounded by a first planar edge; providing (200) at least one secondary container defining a secondary volume and having a second opening at the upper part surrounded by a second planar edge; introducing (300) said secondary container inside the main container, so that said first edge and said second edge are flush; introducing (400) at least one secondary food product inside the secondary volume; introducing (500) at least one main food product inside the main volume; making (600), by means of a first sealing head facing the first edge, a perimetric seal between a covering film, arranged to cover said first and second opening (2b; 2b', 3b; 3b'), and said first edge; making (700), by means of a second sealing head facing the second edge and physically distinct from the first sealing head, an inner seal between the covering film and the second edge.