Resizable Food Container With Mid-Package Separable Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large, multiple serving food containers require users to extend their arms deep into the bag to access remaining contents, potentially contaminating the bag and soiling clothing, especially with oily products.
Innovation Solution
A food package with mid-package separable seals that allow the container to be resized by separating into smaller sections, featuring an elongated strip and a tear line for easy separation, with sealing means like zip-locks to maintain freshness and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the bag is made large to accommodate multiple servings, then the quantity of food product that can be stored is improved, but the user must extend their arm deep into the bag to access remaining contents, causing contamination and soiling
Solution Approach 1:
The bag is divided into two separable sections by a mid-package separable seal. When food is partially consumed, the upper section can be removed, allowing the user to access the lower section without extending their arm deep into the bag. This segmentation maintains package integrity while enabling clean access to remaining contents.
2Quantity of substance
If the bag is made large to accommodate multiple servings, then the quantity of food product that can be stored is improved, but the package size becomes difficult to manage and access
Solution Approach 1:
The mid-package separable seal divides the large bag into manageable sections. As food is consumed, the upper section can be separated and removed, converting the large package into a smaller, more manageable size that is easier to handle and access without compromising the remaining food.
3Reliability
If the mid-package separable seal is made strong to maintain package integrity, then the reliability of the seal is improved, but the difficulty of separating the sections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-configured with a tear line or perforation that guides the separation process. This preliminary design feature ensures that when separation is needed, the user can easily tear the seal along the predetermined line without requiring excessive force or complex manipulation, while maintaining strong sealing when intact.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal has different properties in different regions: the majority of the seal maintains strong adhesive bonding to ensure package integrity, while a specific localized region (the tear line or perforation) is designed with weakened bonds to enable easy separation when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A container, or package, that is separable for resizing the container after the contents are partially consumed. One or more mid-package separable seals are positioned between the top and bottom of a package. The seal in the sealed configuration flexibly provides package integrity with an air-tight seal and connection. In the operated configuration, the seal separates the package into two sections, allowing the package to assume a size that is suitable for the volume of material remaining. In one embodiment, the mid-package separable seal includes a sealing strip that is adhesively attached to the outside of the package and covers a tear line/strip formed in the material of the package. Removal of the sealing strip allows the tear line to separate the package into two sections. In another embodiment, a connecting strip is attached to two sections of the package and the connecting strip has an integral tear line.