Vacuum Packaging Device for Bulk Goods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging solutions for bulk goods like coffee beans, cocoa beans, and rice face issues with moisture exposure leading to mold proliferation, poor hygiene, damage during handling, and inefficient storage due to irregular shapes and weights exceeding safety limits, causing strain and space wastage.
Innovation Solution
A packaging device featuring a vacuum bag with cardboard sheet-like elements that deform to form a parallelepiped shape, providing structural support, easy handling, and optimal storage, while maintaining a vacuum seal to prevent moisture exchange and protect against damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If jute sacks are used for packaging bulk goods, then the sacks are breathable and allow gas exchange, but the goods are exposed to moisture and external agents leading to mold proliferation and poor hygiene
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite packaging structure combining a rigid outer shell (cardboard or plastic) with an inner vacuum bag. This composite design provides both mechanical protection and vacuum sealing, eliminating moisture exchange while maintaining structural integrity. The rigid shell prevents deformation and the vacuum seal ensures complete isolation from external agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a vacuum environment inside the packaging by removing air and other gases before sealing. This inert vacuum atmosphere prevents moisture exchange and mold proliferation while maintaining product quality. The vacuum seal ensures complete isolation from external humidity and contaminants.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If plastic sacks are used to protect goods from moisture, then isolation from external environment is achieved, but the sacks are easily damaged during handling and transport leading to perforation and loss of isolation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a rigid outer shell (cardboard or plastic) with an inner vacuum bag to create a composite packaging system. The rigid shell provides mechanical strength and damage resistance during handling and transport, while the inner vacuum bag maintains the vacuum seal and isolation from external agents. This composite structure eliminates the weakness of thin plastic sacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid outer shell acts as a protective cushion before damage can occur to the inner vacuum bag. This pre-protective structure absorbs mechanical impacts and prevents perforation of the vacuum seal during loading, unloading, and transport operations.
3Productivity
If sacks are filled to maximum capacity (70 kg), then storage and transport efficiency is improved, but manual handling becomes unsafe due to excessive weight causing strain and unstable balance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the packaging into modular units with standardized dimensions and weights. The rigid shell provides a stable structure that can be easily stacked and handled, while the vacuum sealing allows for precise weight control. This segmentation enables safe manual handling while maintaining high storage and transport efficiency through optimized packaging dimensions.
4Adaptability or versatility
If sacks are made with undefined shape to accommodate bulk goods, then flexibility in filling is achieved, but the sacks are difficult to handle and stack efficiently leading to space waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a rigid shell with curved or rounded features that maintain structural integrity while providing ergonomic handling characteristics. The vacuum bag conforms to the shell's shape, creating a compact form factor that stacks efficiently. This design maintains flexibility in filling while dramatically improving handling and stacking efficiency.
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 solution effectively isolates goods from environmental factors, reduces handling strain, optimizes storage space, and ensures compliance with safety regulations by maintaining a stable weight below 25 kg per unit, allowing for efficient manual and automated handling.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum is created before they are sealed... subsequent to evacuation of the air contained therein... in the presence of a vacuum pressure produced inside said at least one vacuum bag
Data Source
AI summary
A packaging device (1) for bulk goods (3), particularly for use for foods such as coffee beans, cocoa beans, rice, spices and seeds in general, includes at least one vacuum bag (2) defining an open side (2d) for insertion of the bulk goods (3) therein and hermetically sealable at the open side (2d) subsequent to evacuation of the air contained therein.