Rigid Element Sealing for Vacuum Packaging Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for evacuating packages require large, expensive chambers for larger volumes and struggle with maintaining airtight contact, especially with coarse granular products, and do not allow for reversible gas content changes or efficient handling of fine powders.
Innovation Solution
A method using a substantially rigid element integrated into the packaging film, with a suction device that seals against the rigid element, allowing for controlled evacuation and gas injection, while preventing clogging and deformation, and utilizing a filter to ensure impermeability to products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vacuum chamber is used to evacuate large packages, then evacuation capability is achieved, but equipment cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential evacuation function from a large vacuum chamber and concentrates it into a small suction device with a suction opening. Instead of placing the entire package in a chamber, only the suction opening needs to contact the package surface, eliminating the need for large expensive chambers while maintaining evacuation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid element acts as an intermediary between the suction device and the packaging film. It provides a smooth contact surface that ensures airtight sealing with the suction opening, while the packaging film remains flexible to conform to the package contents. This intermediary solves the sealing problem without requiring complex chamber systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If flexible labeling materials are used to create apertures in packaging film, then ease of manufacture is improved, but airtight contact with vacuum chamber cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the packaging film rigid to ensure airtight contact, the invention makes the contact surface (rigid element) rigid while keeping the packaging film flexible. The rigid element provides the smooth sealing surface, and the flexible film adapts to the package contents, reversing the traditional approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining a rigid element (providing structural stability and smooth sealing surface) with flexible packaging film (providing adaptability and ease of manufacture). This composite approach achieves both airtight contact and ease of manufacture.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If fine apertures are used in rigid patches to prevent product passage, then product leakage is prevented, but pressure losses increase and clogging risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid element serves as an intermediary structure that provides a smooth contact surface for sealing while containing apertures for gas passage. The aperture size is optimized to allow efficient gas evacuation without causing excessive pressure losses or clogging, as the rigid structure prevents product particles from blocking the apertures.
4Reliability
If hot sealing devices are used to seal apertures after evacuation, then airtight sealing is achieved, but reversibility is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the sealing dynamic and reversible by replacing permanent hot sealing with a mechanical closure system. The closure element can be engaged to seal the aperture after evacuation and disengaged to allow gas injection or re-evacuation, enabling multi-stage processes and flexible gas content management.
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
Enables efficient, reversible gas content management in packages of various sizes and types, reducing equipment costs and pressure losses, and preventing product leakage or clogging during evacuation.
Implementation Method 1
a suction device provided with a suction opening, for evacuating the package through an aperture in the packaging film
Implementation Method 2
evacuating the fluid to be evacuated from the package through said aperture by actuating the vacuum pump
Data Source
AI summary
Method and assembly for evacuating a package (2), such as a vacuum package filled with a product such as nuts. The package is at least partially made of packaging film (6). The method employs a suction device (4) provided with a suction opening, for evacuating the package through an aperture (12) in the packaging film. The package is provided with a substantially plate-shaped, rigid element (8), one main surface of which substantially lying in contact “with the inner side of the packaging film, wherein the aperture in the packaging film is provided at the location of the substantially rigid element. The method further includes the sealing abutment of the suction opening against an outer side of the package, at a location where the substantially rigid element lies in contact with the inner side of the packaging film, in such a way that the aperture is in fluid connection with the suction opening.