Snack Kit Segmentation for Hygiene and Nutrition

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for healthy, low-sugar, and moderate-fat snack options that are easy to transport and prepare, particularly for individuals with limited time, as commercially available snacks often have high sugar and fat content.

Innovation Solution

A kit containing a reclosable container with olive oil or vegetable oil, toasted bread pieces, and a tomato sauce, packaged in a way that allows for easy carrying and preparation, including a rigid container for the oil and individually packaged bread pieces, along with optional accessories like a spoon, napkin, and tray for hygiene and convenience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If commercially available sweet snacks are used, then convenience and availability are improved, but nutritional quality deteriorates due to high sugar and fat content

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveconvenienceVSAvoidnutritional quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The snack kit is divided into separate compartments containing different ingredients (crackers, cheese cubes, tomato sauce, oil, seasoning). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for both convenience (pre-portioned, portable) and nutritional quality (healthy ingredients, controlled portions) while avoiding the harmful high sugar/fat content of conventional snacks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple healthy food items (crackers, cheese, tomato sauce, oil, seasoning) into a single portable kit. This merging creates a complete, nutritionally balanced snack solution that is as convenient as conventional snacks but with superior nutritional quality, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and harmful factors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If healthy snack alternatives are prepared from scratch, then nutritional quality is improved, but time consumption and preparation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenutritional qualityVSAvoidpreparation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

All ingredients are pre-portioned, pre-packaged in leak-proof containers, and pre-arranged in the kit before use. The crackers are in a rigid container, cheese is cubed and packaged, tomato sauce and oil have dedicated containers with dispensing mechanisms. This preliminary action eliminates preparation time while maintaining high nutritional quality, as users simply need to open containers and assemble the snack.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The kit is designed to be self-sufficient with all necessary components (ingredients, packaging, dispensing mechanisms) included. Users can prepare the snack independently without requiring additional tools, ingredients, or complex preparation steps, thus maintaining nutritional quality while minimizing time investment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If multiple snack components are packaged together for portability, then ease of carrying is improved, but risk of leakage and contamination increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveportabilityVSAvoidhygiene
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Each ingredient (crackers, cheese, tomato sauce, oil, seasoning) is packaged in a separate, dedicated container within the kit. This segmentation prevents cross-contamination between ingredients and eliminates leakage risks, as each container is designed specifically for its contents. The rigid cracker container, sealed cheese packaging, and leak-proof sauce/oil containers work together to maintain hygiene while ensuring portability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses specialized packaging materials and sealing mechanisms as intermediaries between the ingredients and the external environment. These intermediaries (seals, caps, rigid containers) protect the food components from contamination and leakage while allowing the kit to remain portable and easy to carry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 kit provides a practical, healthy snack solution that can be used for both snacks and meals, is easy to carry and prepare, and maintains hygiene, with the toasted bread's texture effectively absorbing the oil without spreading, ensuring a pleasant taste and easy storage of leftovers.

Implementation Method 1

the toasted bread's texture effectively absorbing the oil without spreading

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Data Source

PatentEP2651227B1Kit for preparing a snack
Publication Date: 2017.05.17 AZIENDA OLEARIA DEL CHIANTI
  • EP2651227B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The present invention relates to a kit for the preparation of bread and oil. It is an easy-to-open package that contains one or more pieces of toasted bread (of the Granetti type) and a container containing a seasoning, for example olive oil. The kit, that is easily transportable, therefore contains what is necessary for the simple and easy preparation a healthy snack such as bread and oil.