Vacuum Sealer Angled Front Wall and Sensor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum packaging and sealing appliances face issues with aligning and inserting bag edges properly, leading to misalignment, improper sealing, and unnecessary activation of the heating bar when used with food storage containers, resulting in inefficiencies and wear and tear.
Innovation Solution
The appliance features a drip tray with a back barrier and angled front wall to guide bag insertion, ensuring proper alignment and preventing misalignment, along with a sensor to detect the use of an accessory hose and temporarily disable the heating bar when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bag member is inserted into the opening located on the front wall perpendicular to the supporting surface, then the vacuum sealing function is achieved, but the gravitational force causes misalignment of the top and bottom side edge portions of the bag
Solution Approach 1:
The drip tray is designed with an asymmetric structure featuring a front wall that is angled relative to the supporting surface, creating different angles for bag insertion. This asymmetric geometry counteracts gravitational force on the bag contents, preventing misalignment of the top and bottom side edge portions while ensuring reliable vacuum sealing
Solution Approach 2:
The drip tray serves as an intermediary structure between the bag member and the vacuum chamber. It provides a guided insertion path with side walls that keep the bag aligned, and an angled front wall that prevents gravitational misalignment, thereby mediating between the bag and the sealing mechanism
2Reliability
If the heating bar is activated for all sealing operations, then bag sealing is ensured, but unnecessary power consumption and wear and tear occur when used with food storage containers
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor is implemented to detect whether a bag member or food storage container is placed on the appliance. The sensor provides feedback to the control system, which then selectively activates the heating bar only when a bag member is detected, preventing unnecessary power consumption and wear when sealing food storage containers
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism transitions from a static always-on state to a dynamic conditional activation state. The heating bar is activated only when the sensor detects a bag member requiring sealing, allowing the system to adapt its energy consumption and operational state based on the actual sealing needs
Data Source
AI summary
The invention comprising an appliance for vacuum sealing a bag member. The appliance has a housing including a front wall, a rear wall, and two side walls. The front wall includes an opening for receiving an open top portion of the bag member, where the bag member can then be received within a drip tray placed within a cavity located within the housing, where vacuum pressure may be applied. The drip try includes a barrier member that extends upwardly at a rear portion to redirect the open top portion of the bag member into the drip tray when the bag member has been inserted into the opening. The cavity also includes a heating bar used to apply a seal to the open top portion of the bag member. The front wall of the housing is angled between 15° and 45° relative to a surface on which the appliance rests.