Sealed Tray Package Bands to Prevent Chilled Sidewall Collapse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Trays with covers often lose their shape when exposed to chilled conditions, with sidewalls collapsing inwardly, especially in trays with longer side walls, and covers that do not allow air entry exacerbating the issue.
Innovation Solution
A sealed tray package design featuring a compartment with sidewalls and a rim, covered by a sealed cover, and wrapped with bands that are attached to the cover and bottom wall, providing tension to prevent sidewall collapse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tray is sealed with a cover to protect food products, then food protection is improved, but the tray loses its shape when exposed to chilled conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies elastic bands wrapped around the tray that act as flexible constraint elements. These bands maintain the tray's shape under chilled conditions by providing outward force on the sidewalls, preventing collapse while allowing the sealing cover to remain in place for food protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic bands are pre-installed on the tray to provide preliminary counter-action against the inward collapse force that occurs during chilling. This preliminary anti-action prevents the shape loss before it can occur, maintaining tray integrity throughout the chilled storage period.
2Reliability
If the cover does not allow air entering inside the tray to maintain sealing, then sealing integrity is improved, but the tray shape is exacerbated when exposed to chilled conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic bands serve as flexible constraint elements that work in conjunction with the airtight cover. While the cover maintains sealing integrity by preventing air entry, the elastic bands provide the mechanical support needed to prevent sidewall collapse under chilled conditions, resolving the contradiction between sealing and shape maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic bands act as intermediary elements between the airtight cover and the tray sidewalls. They mediate the interaction by providing outward force on the sidewalls to counteract inward collapse pressure, allowing the cover to maintain its sealing function without causing shape distortion.
3Volume of stationary object
If the tray has longer side walls to provide more space, then storage capacity is improved, but the tray loses its shape more easily under chilled conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic bands are wrapped around the tray including the longer side walls, providing distributed outward force along the entire perimeter. This allows trays with greater storage capacity and longer side walls to maintain their shape under chilled conditions, as the bands counteract the collapse tendency throughout the entire sidewall structure.
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 bands maintain the tray's shape under chilled conditions by applying outward force, preventing sidewall collapse and allowing for easy opening.
Implementation Method 1
one or more bands being wrapped tightly on an outside of the sealed tray and around at least a portion of the sealed tray along a wrapping direction, such that respective band is attached to the cover and/or rim at an upper side of the sealed tray and extends tightly towards the bottom wall of the compartment
Implementation Method 2
the one of more bands prevent, or at least mitigate, the sealed tray package losing its shape when being exposed to chilled conditions... the bands may be used to provide the user with some information e.g. about the food product
Implementation Method 3
The one or more bands are adhesively attached or heat sealed to the cover and to the bottom wall of the compartment. The one or more bands may e.g. be attached to the cover and to the bottom by a glue drop, such as a hot-melt, by a double-sided adhesive tape
Implementation Method 4
a sealing operation such as a heat sealing operation, such as by ultrasonic sealing
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a sealed tray package (100) for a food product, the sealed tray package (100) comprising a tray (110). The tray (110) comprising a compartment (112) having a bottom wall (115) and one or more sidewalls (116a-d) extending upwardly from the bottom wall (115), the compartment (112) being arranged to receive the food product, and a rim (114) extending outwardly from an upper portion of the one or more sidewalls (116a-d) of the compartment (112) and surrounding the compartment (112) at an upper open end (116) of the tray (110). The sealed tray package (100) further comprising a cover (120) covering the upper open end (116) and being sealed to the rim (114) of the tray (110) thereby forming a sealed tray (110), and one or more bands (130) being wrapped tightly on an outside of the sealed tray (110) and around at least a portion of the sealed tray (110) along a wrapping direction (WD), such that respective band (130) is attached to the cover (120) at an upper side (142) of the sealed tray (110) and extends tightly towards the bottom (115) of the compartment (110) and is attached to a lower side (144) of the sealed tray (110).