V-Shaped Freezer Container Assembly for Space-Efficient Liquid Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for storing freezable liquids like breast milk are inefficient, leading to waste due to leakage, space issues, and spoilage, with existing containers being expensive, bulky, and difficult to organize in freezers, and existing solutions like ice cube trays result in freezer burn and inefficient use of space.
Innovation Solution
A V-shaped container assembly with a support base and a freezer container support structure that allows for organized storage and identification of freezable liquids by color-coded indicia, enabling selective access and reuse, and includes a design that minimizes spillage and maximizes space efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plastic bags are used for storing freezable liquid, then the liquid can be contained, but the bags are expensive, prone to leakage, single-use, and result in significant waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive single-use plastic bags with reusable containers made from inexpensive materials like silicone or food-grade plastic. The containers are designed for multiple uses, eliminating the need to discard after one use while maintaining containment reliability through features like secure lids and spill-resistant designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables recovery and reuse of both the container and the freezable liquid. Containers are designed to be durable and reusable, and the liquid can be thawed, used, and refrozen multiple times within safe storage periods, reducing waste of both material and valuable liquid.
2Reliability
If glass bottles are used for containing liquids for freezing, then the liquid can be contained, but the bottles are expensive, bulky, hard to organise, and can fracture upon expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the container - using flexible materials like silicone instead of rigid glass, and designing collapsible or compressible forms that reduce volume. The containers can be flattened when empty or partially full, making them easy to stack and organize in freezer spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved or rounded container designs that allow efficient stacking and arrangement in freezer compartments. The containers can be nested or stacked in space-efficient configurations, and their flexible shapes adapt to available storage space better than rigid rectangular or cylindrical forms.
3Ease of manufacture
If ice cube trays are used for freezing liquid, then a reusable alternative is provided, but the trays occupy considerably more volume than the liquid intended to be frozen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible container materials that can be collapsed or compressed to minimize volume. When the container is empty or contains minimal liquid, it can be flattened or compressed to occupy minimal freezer space, unlike rigid ice cube trays that maintain their full volume regardless of content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates dynamically adaptable container volume - the container can expand to hold the required amount of liquid during filling, then collapse or compress to minimal volume during storage. This dynamic volume adjustment eliminates the wasted space problem of static ice cube trays.
4Reliability
If freezable liquid is stored in bags, then the liquid can be contained, but the milk is highly susceptible to freezer burn
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs containers with airtight seals and lids that create an inert, protected environment inside the container. This prevents air and moisture from reaching the freezable liquid, eliminating the conditions that cause freezer burn while maintaining containment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible container materials with integrated sealing mechanisms that conform to the liquid volume and create tight seals. The flexible nature allows the container to adapt to the liquid shape while maintaining contact-seal integrity, preventing air ingress and freezer burn better than rigid or open designs.
5Reliability
If bottles are used for storing breastmilk, then the liquid can be contained, but bottles can be overlooked resulting in newer breastmilk being used in advance of older breastmilk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates color-coding systems on containers or labels that indicate storage duration or batch identification. Different colors or color intensities can represent different freezing dates or recommended usage periods, making it visually obvious which containers should be used first without requiring label reading or memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements visual feedback mechanisms such as date stamps, color indicators, or position markers that provide immediate information about storage duration and usage priority. This feedback system prevents overlooking containers by making their status visually apparent, ensuring first-in-first-out usage.
Data Source
AI summary
A container assembly comprises a V-shaped container having a V-shaped cross-section and being formed from freezer-safe material, and a support base having a V-shaped groove sized to received and cooperate with the container thereby to support the container during filling with freezable liquid. Also disclosed is a freezer container support structure comprising two or more plates and at least two spaced support members. The support members are adapted to engage the plates in spaced locations along the support members, to maintain one or more freezer containers between the plates during freezing of a freezable liquid contained in each said freezer container.