Off-Center Handle Sachet for Safer Draining

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing water-permeable cooking pouches are difficult to extract from boiling water, drain, and empty due to their design, which often results in imperfect cooking water removal and risk of burns during emptying.

Innovation Solution

A water-permeable cooking pouch with an off-center handle opening and asymmetrical perforation distribution, where the handle is located on one side and the majority of perforations are on the other side, facilitating natural inclination and easier gripping, draining, and opening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the handle opening is centered on the sachet, then the sachet is symmetric and easy to manufacture, but the sachet does not naturally incline during immersion making extraction and draining difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveextraction and draining easeVSAvoidhandle position asymmetry
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by positioning the handle opening off-center on the sachet, specifically in the upper quarter of the sachet's length. This asymmetric positioning creates an imbalance in water infiltration during immersion, causing the sachet to naturally incline with the handle upward, facilitating easy extraction and draining operations without complicating the manufacturing process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Ease of operation

If the perforations are evenly distributed, then the sachet structure is simple, but the draining operation is tedious and imperfect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedraining efficiencyVSAvoidperforation distribution pattern
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating the majority of perforations (more than half) in the lower three-quarters of the sachet, specifically in the region opposite to the handle opening. This non-uniform perforation distribution creates localized areas of different water permeability, enabling efficient draining while maintaining a relatively simple sachet structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If the sachet is symmetric with centered handle, then the design is simple, but emptying the bag is difficult and risky due to burns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemptying safety and easeVSAvoidasymmetrical handle and perforation arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The asymmetric arrangement of the handle opening in the upper quarter and the concentrated perforations in the lower three-quarters creates a natural inclination during immersion that positions the handle upward and the perforated region downward. This asymmetry enables safe and easy emptying by allowing the user to grip the handle while water and food naturally drain through the lower perforated area, reducing burn risk

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

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 design allows for faster immersion, easier extraction, improved draining, and safer emptying by promoting natural inclination and accessibility of the handle, reducing the risk of burns and simplifying the cooking process.

Implementation Method 1

due to a faster immersion of half of the sachet free from the bulk of the handle, a natural inclination of the sachet which tends to facilitate subsequent gripping by the handle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Implementation Method 2

makes it possible, due to the natural inclination of the bag which occurs when the bag is gripped by the handle makes draining easier at the level of the second half of the bag

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity-driven flow: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3103739B1Boil-in-bag sachet for rehydratable food
Publication Date: 2017.11.22 TIPIAK EPICERIE
  • EP3103739B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3103739B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3103739B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Cooking bag (1) delimited by two longitudinal edges (2) and two transverse edges, respectively called upper (31) and lower (32), comprising a first upper transverse sealing seal (4), separating the bag (1) from its upper transverse edge (31) towards its lower transverse edge (32) into a bag (6) gripping zone (6) having a through opening (8) suitable for forming a bag gripping handle and a food receiving zone (7) having a plurality of perforations (10), and the second lower sealing seal (5) isolating at least a part of the lower transverse edge (32) of the bag from the food receiving zone (7) to form a gripping zone (11) by the bottom of the bag.The through opening (8) referred to as off-center has at least ¾ of its length arranged on one side of the median longitudinal line (XX') of the bag (1) in the flat state of the bag (1), this side being called the first half (12) of the bag (1), and the total area of ​​the perforations (10) of the first half (12) of the bag is less than the total area of ​​the perforations (10) of the second half (13), and at least part of the gripping area (11) by the bottom of the bag is arranged in the first half (12) of the bag (1).