Interconnected Packaging Containers with Retention Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging arrangements for confectionery and snack products fail to securely hold and present individual pieces, leading to potential damage during transit and difficulty in selection, especially when not oriented upright.
Innovation Solution
A packaging assembly with interconnected containers featuring product retention seats and resilient biasing arrangements that securely hold and display individual product pieces, allowing for easy access and retention regardless of orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If product pieces are individually held in open topped recesses within a tray, then ease of selection is improved, but security of retention during transit deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is divided into multiple containers, each with its own product piece holding fitment and retention mechanism. This segmentation allows each product piece to be individually secured while maintaining ease of selection, as each container acts as an independent unit with its own retention system.
Solution Approach 2:
Resilient biasing arrangements are pre-installed within each container to automatically engage with product pieces upon insertion. This preliminary action ensures that product pieces are securely retained during transit without requiring additional manual intervention, while still allowing easy removal when needed.
2Ease of manufacture
If product pieces are loosely packed within a carton, then ease of manufacture is improved, but product damage during transit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The loose packing space is segmented into multiple defined containers, each with specific product piece holding fitments. This maintains ease of manufacture by providing clear structural guidelines while preventing product damage through individual retention mechanisms in each container.
Solution Approach 2:
Resilient biasing arrangements are installed in advance within each container to provide automatic cushioning and protection for product pieces during transit. This beforehand cushioning prevents damage without complicating the manufacturing process, as the resilient elements are integrated into the container structure.
3Ease of operation
If containers are made movable between closed and open configurations, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging system is segmented into multiple independently movable containers, each with its own simple hinge mechanism. This segmentation allows each container to be opened or closed independently, improving accessibility while keeping the overall structural complexity manageable through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Containers are designed with hinge connections that allow smooth transition between closed and open configurations. This dynamic design improves ease of operation by enabling flexible access to product pieces, while the simple hinge mechanism avoids excessive structural complexity.
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 packaging assembly effectively secures and displays individual product pieces, preventing damage during transit and facilitating easy selection, even when the package is not oriented upright.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient biasing arrangement on either side of the product retention region, which resilient biasing arrangements engage with opposed side walls of the respective container to hold the product retention region substantially centrally
Data Source
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AI summary
A packaging assembly (10) includes a package (14) with plurality of interconnected containers (110, 112, 114, 116) movable between a closed configuration (Fig. 4) and an open configuration. Each container has a plurality of walls defining an interior volume in which at least one product piece can be held, with a product display and dispensing aperture (136) in at least one of the walls (120). A fitment (132) is located within each container, each fitment being configured to individually hold and retain at least one product piece (118, Fig.6) in position within its respective container such that the product piece can be seen and removed through the product display and dispensing aperture when the package is in an open configuration.