Preheat Container for Heat Shrinking Packaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat shrinking apparatuses for packaging cold food products are inefficient due to incomplete shrinking, leading to improper sealing and aesthetic issues, and require significant energy for heating, especially during startup.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus with a preheat container positioned above the heat chamber to reuse heat energy by preheating liquid before it enters the heat tank, reducing energy consumption and maintaining the necessary temperature with less energy input.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If hot air is applied to heat shrink the package, then the material shrinks around the food, but the shrinking stops once the material contacts the cold food resulting in incomplete shrinking and improper sealing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshrinking completenessVSAvoidsealing quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the thermal parameter of the heating medium from air to water. Water has higher specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity, allowing it to maintain higher temperature and provide more consistent heat transfer to the packaging material, preventing the shrinking stoppage that occurs with cold food contact in air heating systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of cold food contact (which stops shrinking in air heating) into a benefit by using water heating. The water's high heat capacity allows it to absorb the cooling effect of cold food while maintaining sufficient temperature to complete the shrinking process, turning the thermal challenge into an advantage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Manufacturing precision

If water bath or water curtain is used to heat shrink the package, then the material continues shrinking when contacting cold food, but a large amount of energy is required to heat and maintain the water temperature

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshrinking completenessVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a preheat container that preheats incoming water before it enters the main heating chamber. This preliminary heating action reduces the energy required to heat the water to shrinking temperature, while still maintaining complete shrinking of the packaging material around cold food products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent recovers and reuses the water after it has served its heating function. Instead of discarding the cooled water, it is circulated back through the system to be reheated and reused, significantly reducing the energy required to continuously heat large amounts of fresh water for each shrinking operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Loss of energy

If steam extraction and re-circulation is implemented, then heat is reused, but the apparatus still requires relatively large energy particularly during start-up phase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat recoveryVSAvoidstart-up energy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The preheat container performs preliminary heating of incoming water during normal operation, but during start-up phase, the system is designed to accumulate and concentrate the available heat from the chamber to rapidly bring the water to operating temperature, reducing the extended high-energy period required in conventional systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the heating functions by positioning the preheat container within or adjacent to the main heating chamber, allowing the incoming water to be heated by the same thermal energy source used for shrinking. This consolidation eliminates redundant heating systems and reduces overall energy consumption, particularly during start-up.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 achieves a reduction in energy consumption by at least 15% to 20% by effectively reusing heat energy, ensuring consistent heat shrinking and improved packaging efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

heat from the chamber rises upwards towards the preheat container so as to preheat the liquid in the preheat container

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal convection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

liquid in the preheat container can be preheated by heat from the chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

The material is shrunk around the food in the apparatus

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal contraction: Thermal Contraction

Data Source

PatentUS10597183B2Apparatus for heat shrinking a package and method for heat shrinking a package

Publication Date: 2020.03.24 CRYOVAC INC

AI summary

An apparatus for heat shrinking a package, comprising: a chamber configured such that a package on a surface of the apparatus may be heat shrunk via a heating fluid in the chamber; and a preheat container configured to supply a preheated liquid to a heat tank from which the heating fluid is supplied to the chamber; wherein the preheat container is above the surface such that liquid in the preheat container can be preheated by heat from the chamber.