Sealed Package Panels for Pourable Food
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealed packages for pourable food products are prone to damage and moisture accumulation due to their design, which can lead to issues with handling, storage, and detection of fermentation or leakage, especially when stacked or transported.
Innovation Solution
A sealed package design featuring a multilayer sheet packaging material with a unique configuration of panels and crease patterns that allows for easier gripping, reduced contact between packages, improved air circulation, and detection of internal pressure changes, preventing damage and moisture accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If packages are tightly packed for storage and transport, then storage space utilization is improved, but air circulation is reduced causing moisture accumulation and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The package is divided into separate panel elements (front panel, rear panel, lateral panels, top panel, bottom panel) that can be independently formed and assembled. This segmentation allows for controlled spacing and air gaps between packages when stored, preventing moisture accumulation while maintaining space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The package design incorporates three-dimensional panel configurations with specific geometric relationships (lateral panels extending between top and bottom panels, front and rear panels positioned at specific distances). This dimensional structure creates natural air circulation pathways between packages during storage and transport.
2Productivity
If packages are stacked or transported in groups, then transport efficiency is improved, but contact between packages increases causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The package design incorporates protective features before damage can occur. The panel construction with specific crease patterns and sealing structures provides inherent cushioning and protection against contact damage during stacking and transport, preventing damage before it happens rather than addressing it afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the package into robust panel components with proper sealing joints, the design distributes mechanical stresses from package contact across multiple structural elements, preventing concentrated damage and maintaining integrity during efficient group transport.
3Reliability
If fermentation or leakage occurs in packaged food, then product quality deteriorates, but detection capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The package design incorporates features that provide feedback about internal conditions. The panel structure with specific sealing arrangements allows for detection of pressure changes, gas accumulation, or leakage that indicate fermentation or sealing failures, enabling timely quality assessment without compromising product integrity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3~5
AI summary
There is described a sealed package (1, 1') for pourable food products, comprising a quadrangular bottom panel (6) which comprises a first front edge (10) and a second rear edge (11) opposite to each other; a quadrangular top panel (5) which is opposite to bottom panel (6) and comprises a third front edge (15) and a fourth rear edge (16); a front panel (8) which extends between first and third edges (10, 15); and a rear panel (7, 7') which extends between second and fourth edges (15, 16); the distance between first and third edges (10, 15) is smaller than the distance between second and fourth edges (11, 16); top panel (5) is angled with respect to a first plane defined by first and second edges (10, 11); first and third edge (10, 15) define a second theoretical reference plane (P); front panel (8) comprises a fifth and sixth edge (19, 20) which are opposite to one another and extend both between first and second edges (10, 15); at least one of fifth and sixth front edge (19, 20) extends at least partially on the opposite side of a second theoretical plane (P) with respect to rear panel (7); front panel (8) comprises at least a first region which extends on the opposite side of a second theoretical plane (P) with respect to rear panel (7).