Packaging System for Sequential Food Coating

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food packaging systems for coating products like meat, fish, or vegetables with bread crumbs or flour mixtures are inefficient, as they require additional fluid ingredients, can leak, and make the coating process messy and difficult due to flexible bag adhesion issues, and lack practicality in mixing and separating components.

Innovation Solution

A packaging system with a container and dispenser design that keeps components separate until use, allowing for sequential and efficient mixing of bread crumbs and fluid ingredients, with a mobile base and clutch system to stabilize compartments and prevent leakage, and a bay for excess components, facilitating easy coating without mess.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If separate bags are used for bread crumbs and fluid ingredients, then component separation is improved, but mixing efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent separationVSAvoidmixing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate bags (bread crumb bag, fluid ingredient bag, and optionally egg wash bag) into a single integrated packaging system where all components are contained within one outer bag structure, enabling both separation and efficient mixing through coordinated dispensing mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a nested structure where inner bags containing individual components (bread crumbs, fluid ingredients, egg wash) are placed within an outer bag, allowing each component to remain separately contained while being ready for simultaneous or sequential mixing in a defined mixing chamber

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If flexible bags are used for coating, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to leakage and adhesion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of coatingVSAvoidleakage prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible plastic bags with sealed closures to contain each component, providing both ease of manipulation for the user and reliable leakage prevention through proper sealing mechanisms at the bag openings

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The packaging system divides the coating process into separate sealed compartments for each ingredient (bread crumbs, fluid, egg wash), allowing controlled dispensing of each component without cross-contamination or premature mixing, thereby preventing leakage and maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If all components are mixed at once, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating speedVSAvoidcoating uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent provides dynamic control over the mixing process, allowing the user to dispense components in a controlled sequence (bread crumbs first, then fluid, then egg wash if needed) rather than all at once, enabling precise control of coating uniformity while maintaining efficient one-step processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP1943161B1Packaging for ready-to-use compound products with a device for sequential and suitably deferrable integration of components
Publication Date: 2010.06.23 DEVELPACK SRL
  • EP1943161B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1943161B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1943161B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

Packaging for ready-to-use compound products which consists of a container (1) open in the upper part, a dispenser (11) and an element (21) which define an inner compartment (18) for a first component of the product and other inner compartments (23, 24) for other components of the product. The container (1) is closed by a film (17) which is adhered to the flanged edge (3) of the lateral wall (2) of the container (1); the compartment (23) is closed by means of the sliding element (21) which defines, at the same time, the compartment (24), closed by the same closure element (17) of the container (1) or by an independent closure element, the compartment (24) can be provided with. When the other inner compartments (23, 24) are closed it is impossible that their content mixes with the content of the inner compartment (18). Acting suitably on the mobile base (12) of the dispenser (11) and on the element (21), it is possible to open the other inner compartments (23, 24) to allow the components contained in said compartments to pass into the main compartment (18) via the windows (14, 15) of the lateral wall (13) of the dispenser (11), in sequential and suitably deferrable mode.