Powdered Nutrient Container with Sealed Scoop Recess
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging containers for powdered nutritional products, such as infant formula, face issues with hygiene, freshness, and dosing accuracy due to the scoop being buried within the product, leading to contamination risks and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a scoop recess between a blister element and a seal, allowing the scoop to be sealed within and preventing contact with the product, along with a lid that is lower in height to reduce material usage and facilitate easy scoop retrieval without hand contact, and a handle design to improve dosing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the scoop is dropped into the empty container during production and buried within the food product, then the container structure is simple and manufacturing cost is low, but the hygiene is compromised and product freshness is affected due to hand contact required for retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The scoop is extracted from the bulk food product and placed in a separate compartment (scoop recess) formed between the blister element and seal. This separation allows the scoop to be retrieved without hand contact with the food product, eliminating contamination risk while maintaining simple container structure and low manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The container interior is segmented into two distinct spaces: the main food product area and the scoop recess area. The seal divides these spaces, with the blister element forming the boundary of the scoop recess. This segmentation isolates the scoop from the food product, preventing contamination during retrieval.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the scoop is provided in the lid with a holding element to prevent contact with product, then hygiene is improved, but the container becomes bulky and expensive due to greater material usage
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the scoop vertically in the lid (requiring high lid height), the scoop is positioned horizontally in a recess formed between the blister element and seal at the container opening. This dimensional change allows scoop storage without increasing lid height or overall container complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal serves multiple functions: it seals the container opening to preserve freshness and simultaneously forms one boundary of the scoop recess. The blister element also serves dual purposes as both the seal component and the other boundary of the scoop recess, eliminating the need for separate scoop-holding structures.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the lid is made high to accommodate the entire volume of the scoop, then the scoop can be stored without contact with product, but the container uses more material and increases manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The scoop is nested within the scoop recess formed between the blister element and seal, rather than requiring the lid to extend high to accommodate it. This nesting approach allows the scoop to be contained within the existing container structure without additional material for a taller lid.
4Ease of manufacture
If the scoop is buried within the powdered food product, then manufacturing is simple, but dosing accuracy is compromised due to product accumulation on the handle
Solution Approach 1:
The scoop is extracted from the bulk food product and placed in a separate scoop recess. This separation prevents food product from accumulating on the handle during retrieval, as the scoop can be cleanly removed from the recess without dragging through the powdered product, thereby improving dosing accuracy.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A container for a powdered nutritional product is provided, the container comprising a can having a base and an upstanding sidewall defining an interior space, the sidewall extending to a rim defining an opening to the interior space, a seal attached to the rim and serving to sealingly close the opening, wherein the seal is provided with a scoop recess formed between the seal and a blister element connected to the seal. Additionally, a lid is provided having an upper part and a lower part, wherein the lower part has a greater radius than the upper part, and wherein the radius of the upper part is smaller than the radius of the rim of the can. Further, a scoop is provided for use with the described container, the scoop comprising a bowl and a handle attached to an upper part of the bowl, the handle extending downwardly away from the bowl forming a downward extension until reaching a deflection point, and extending horizontally away from the bowl from said deflection point thereby forming a horizontal extension.