Corner Bracket Securing Produce Shipping Bags
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the transportation and processing of lettuce, the plastic shipping bags often become contaminated, leading to significant economic losses and reduced productivity due to the need to treat the lettuce as unsuitable for human consumption after the bags are pulled into the receiving bin, causing downtime and waste.
Innovation Solution
A bag securing device is installed on the corners of the shipping container, comprising a bracket section and a pin section with a distal end that braces against the container's inside surface, creating a biasing force to securely hold the bag in place without moving parts, reducing the risk of contamination and bag displacement during dumping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tape is used to secure the bag to the container, then the bag is held in place during transport, but the bag may be pulled into the receiving bin during dumping causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a corner securing device as an intermediary mechanism between the bag and container. This device includes a bracket that fits over the container corner and a pin that braces against the inside surface, creating a mechanical barrier that prevents the bag from being pulled into the receiving bin during dumping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner securing device is divided into distinct functional segments: a bracket section that interfaces with the container exterior and a pin section that interfaces with the container interior. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the bracket provides structural support while the pin creates the biasing force to hold the bag in place.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the bag is secured tightly to prevent contamination, then product safety is improved, but processing time and productivity are reduced due to contamination incidents
Solution Approach 1:
The corner securing device is installed on the container before the bag is placed inside. This preliminary action ensures that the bag will be automatically secured when placed in the container, eliminating the need for subsequent tape application and preventing contamination incidents that would require processing line shutdowns.
3Reliability
If tape wrapping is used to secure the bag, then the bag is attached to the container, but the attachment mechanism is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the securing function from the complex tape wrapping process and consolidates it into a single corner securing device. This device combines the bracket and pin into one unit that can be quickly installed and provides reliable bag attachment without requiring multiple layers of tape or complex wrapping procedures.
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 device effectively prevents the bag from being pulled into the receiving bin, minimizing contamination and associated economic losses by securely fastening the bag to the container, allowing for efficient processing and reducing downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a pin section (104) that has a distal end that braces up against an inside surface of the vertical sides of the container with the shipping bag intervening
Data Source
AI summary
A bag securing device is described that fits over the corner of a corner of a produce shipping container once a shipping bag contained therein has been opened and splayed over the edges of the container. By fitting the devices to each of the four corners of the container, a shipping bag is securely held therein substantially eliminating the risk of the bag being pulled from the container when the contents, such as lettuce, are dumped there from for further processing.