Partially Transparent Piping Bag With Opaque Tip Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing disposable piping bags face issues with health hazards due to lost or dissolved ink in transparent tip regions, and opaque bags complicate food safety compliance and visibility.

Innovation Solution

A co-extruded multilayer tubular foil with a partially transparent intermediate layer and non-uniform pigment distribution, allowing for transparent inspection and safe handling, combined with laser-marked artwork and text.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the piping bag is made fully transparent to allow visual inspection of contents, then the user can see the contents of the piping bag, but the tip region cannot be identified to prevent loss of severed parts in foodstuff

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of contentsVSAvoidhealth hazards from lost severed parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The piping bag applies different transparency properties to different regions: the main body is fully transparent for content visibility, while the tip region contains pigment additives making it opaque for identification. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing both visibility and safety identification capabilities in their respective locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The tip region incorporates pigment additives that change the optical properties from transparent to opaque, creating a visual distinction that allows users to identify the tip region and prevent loss of severed parts in foodstuff, while maintaining transparency of the main body for content inspection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the piping bag is made opaque with pigment additives to identify tip regions and prevent health hazards, then food safety compliance is improved, but the user cannot visually inspect the contents of the piping bag

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood safety complianceVSAvoidvisibility of contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The piping bag is segmented into two functional zones with different optical properties: a transparent main body for content inspection and an opaque tip region for safety identification. This segmentation allows each region to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If ink is applied to the tip region of transparent piping bags to prevent loss of severed parts, then health hazards are reduced, but the ink may dissolve or mix with fatty foodstuff causing inconvenience and health hazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehealth hazards from lost severed partsVSAvoidink dissolution in fatty conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of applying surface ink that can dissolve, the patent incorporates pigment additives within the polymer matrix of the tip region. This creates a permanent, non-dissolving color change that maintains its identifying function even in fatty conditions, eliminating the harmful effect of ink dissolution while preserving safety identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The tip region uses a composite structure where pigment additives are embedded in the polymer material. This composite approach creates a durable, non-dissolving colored region that maintains its identifying function in fatty conditions, unlike surface-applied ink that can dissolve or mix with foodstuff.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS12484588B2Partially transparent disposable piping bag

Publication Date: 2025.12.02 ONE WAY PLASTICS BV

AI summary

The present invention relates to a piping bag. More in particular, particular, the present invention relates to a piping bag for applying a foodstuff to a substrate, wherein the piping bag is of the disposable type. The present invention further relates to a co-extruded tubular foil from which such a piping bag can be obtained and to a method for providing artwork and/or text on such a piping bag. According to the invention, the outer layer and the inner layer of the tubular foil are transparent and the intermediate layer of the tubular foil is partially transparent through a distribution of pigment additives in the intermediate layer that is non-uniform in at least a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.