Food Punnet Base Structure for Cushioning and Shape Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing punnets for packaging delicate foods like berries face challenges in providing effective cushioning and stability, often requiring adhesives for bubble mats that hinder recyclability, and are prone to deformation leading to food damage during transit.
Innovation Solution
A punnet design featuring a base with an inner region that includes connecting portions and protrusions, providing enhanced resistance to deformation and maintaining shape integrity, even with flexible materials, ensuring the inner region reverts to its original form after depression, thus protecting the food.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a bubble mat is glued onto the base of the punnet to provide cushioning, then the protection of delicate berries is improved, but the recyclability of the punnet deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning function previously provided by a separate bubble mat is merged into the base structure itself. The base is formed as a single integral piece with domed regions containing air pockets that provide cushioning, eliminating the need for separate cushioning components and adhesives, thereby maintaining protection while enabling recyclability.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive layer and separate bubble mat material are extracted from the assembly. The cushioning function is achieved through the base structure's own geometry (domed regions with air pockets) rather than through attached components, removing the contamination that prevents recycling.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the inner region of the base is made flexible to allow deformation and cushioning, then the absorption of impact is improved, but the resistance to permanent deformation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base features domed regions with curved surfaces instead of flat or angular geometries. These domed regions contain air pockets that can deform elastically under impact while the curved geometry provides structural stability. The spherical/domed shape allows uniform distribution of stress during deformation and promotes elastic recovery, preventing permanent inversion while maintaining cushioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The domed regions with air pockets are pre-formed into the base structure before use. These pre-formed cushioning elements are designed to deform in anticipation of impact forces, absorbing energy through controlled elastic deformation while the overall base structure maintains its shape integrity through the interconnected domed geometry.
3Weight of moving object
If thinner gauge material is used to manufacture the base, then the weight of the punnet is reduced, but the resistance to deformation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base incorporates air pockets within the domed regions, creating a porous or cellular structure. This allows the use of thinner gauge material while maintaining structural integrity, as the air pockets provide internal support and reduce the amount of material needed without sacrificing deformation resistance or cushioning performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The domed regions with curved geometries provide structural strength more efficiently than flat material of the same thickness. The curved shape distributes stresses more evenly throughout the material, allowing thinner gauge material to achieve the same deformation resistance as thicker flat material, thereby reducing weight while maintaining strength.
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 punnet design effectively reduces the likelihood of permanent inversion and damage to food by enhancing the base's resistance to deformation, allowing it to maintain shape integrity and protect food during transit, while being recyclable.
Implementation Method 1
the inner region provides at least one of: one or more connecting portions together separating two or more areas of the inner region, the connecting portions extending towards the ground contact plane relative to the respective areas separated thereby; and at least one protrusion extending from the inner region by at least a third of the distance from a peak height of the inner region off the ground contact plane to the ground contact plane
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a punnet (100) for packaging food, the punnet comprising: a base (102) having one or more side walls (104, 106, 108, 110) extending therefrom, the base and the one or more side walls together defining a receptacle for holding food, wherein the base comprises: a peripheral region (138, 238) arranged to contact a surface on which the punnet is supported, in use, and defining a ground contact plane; and an inner region (150, 550, 250) bounded by and integrally formed with the peripheral region and extending inwardly from the peripheral region into the receptacle, wherein the inner region provides at least one of: one or more connecting portions (144, 544, 644a, 644b) together separating two or more areas of the inner region, the connecting portions extending towards the ground contact plane relative to the respective areas separated thereby; and at least one protrusion (252, 254, 256, 258, 268, 262, 264, 266) extending from the inner region by at least a third of the distance from a peak height of the inner region off the ground contact plane to the ground contact plane.