Zigzag Folded Cover for Meat Portion Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing handling supports for conveying products, particularly in the food industry, lack effective protection against dust and dirt, leading to contamination and spoilage during transportation.
Innovation Solution
A cover made from lightweight, easy-to-produce materials such as LDPE or biodegradable thermoplastic foils with center fold lines, sealed to form interconnected covers that can be easily applied over products on handling supports, preventing contamination and spoilage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If products are transported on handling supports without covers, then physical access is unrestricted and handling is easy, but dust and dirt contaminate the products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible cover made from a sheet of material that can be draped over the product on the handling support. This thin film barrier prevents dust and dirt from contaminating the product while remaining easy to apply and remove, thus protecting the product without significantly impeding handling operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover is provided to protect products, then product contamination is prevented, but the cover adds complexity to the handling system
Solution Approach 1:
The handling system is segmented into distinct components: the handling support, the product, and the removable cover. This segmentation allows the cover to be independently applied and removed without affecting the handling support structure, thereby preventing contamination while minimizing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is designed as a simple, inexpensive, single-use or limited-use component made from basic sheet material. This disposable approach eliminates the need for complex, expensive, or maintenance-intensive protective systems, preventing contamination without adding significant complexity to the handling system.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If expensive or complex protective measures are used, then product protection is enhanced, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is made from inexpensive sheet material that can be produced at low cost using simple manufacturing processes. This disposable or limited-use cover provides effective product protection without requiring expensive materials or complex manufacturing, thus enhancing product protection while keeping production costs low.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses basic sheet material with simple physical properties (flexibility, drapeability) that can be obtained from common, low-cost materials. By relying on simple physical parameters rather than expensive materials or complex structures, the solution achieves effective protection at minimal production cost.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention pertains to a cover (1) for covering product (13) on a handling support (11) for conveying the product, in particular meat portions, the cover comprising a sheet (2) having a center (4) and fold lines (3) and that is provided in a folded state resulting in a folded sheet in which said sheet is functionally zigzag folded about said fold lines while leaving said center free for positioning said center on a handling support end, said folded sheet having ends (5, 5') at which surfaces of said zigzag folded sheet are attached together (9).