Reducing Ketchup Residue

Introducing the Problem When you get a ketchup bottle from the fridge, you often see unappealing and congealed crusts around the cap nozzle. Not only can this reduce the pleasantness of the ketchup-eating experience, but the exposed crusts can also be a breeding ground for bacteria [1]. Our teams conclusion was that there is a fundamental problem with the design of ketchup bottle lids. We want to solve this problem. Objective of the Solution We want using ketchup bottles to be a more pleasant and sanitary experience. Our primary objective was to decrease the amount of ketchup crust formation on the exposed lid of Heinz products (a very popular brand of ketchup selling approximately 650 million bottles of ketchup each year [2]). Where We Started We started by brainstorming ideas, some of which were wacky but opened our perspective to new ways of approaching the solution. Afterwards, we elaborated on a few of our original designs and thought of some new ones to better solve the problem. We then developed more detailed descriptions and sketches of the most promising designs. Where We Are Now After comparing the benefits and consequences of our designs according to our criteria, we came to the decision to combine an inverted lip with a retractable nozzle to minimize the mess and contain what does spill in a closed compartment so that bacteria cannot grow on it. Here are the sketches of the two designs that were combined:

Figure 1: Sketch of the inverted lip (labelled by elastic lips and plastic guards).

Figure 2: Sketch of the retractable nozzle (inverted lip will be placed on the tip of the inner nozzle outlined with dashes in the sketch). The Product When you squeeze the bottle, the inner nozzle shoots out of the cone and then ketchup pours out of its spout. When you stop squeezing, it retracts back in so that any ketchup on the tip of the nozzle is contained within the lid. Thus, bacteria cannot grow on the ketchup and water does not evaporate from the ketchup causing crusts to form. The inverted lip on the spout cuts off the ketchup flow when you stop squeezing so that ketchup does not pour over the lip as you lift up the bottle to its upright position, leaving a mess. Below is an image of a prototype meant to demonstrate the basic mechanics of how the lid functions. It serves as a reference for communicating between the design team members and interested stakeholders, such as the Client, Project Assessors and users as the design develops.

Our Vision We wanted our product to minimize crust formation so we chose to reduce how much the ketchup spills and contain what does spill inside the lid. The inverted elastic lip cuts off the ketchup flow when you stop squeezing the bottle to reduce the amount of spilt ketchup. Then, the exterior plastic guard prevents water evaporation so that crusts will not form inside the lid. The plastic material chosen for this outer barrier is Polyvinylidene Chloride because it is not easily permeated by gas and water vapour [4]. We also wanted to prevent bacteria growth. Because bacteria require a moist environment to grow, the use of a plastic guard to contain the water vapour and prevent the bacteria from accessing the moist ketchup also accomplishes this vision [3]. We wanted our product to be convenient to use. Thus, we designed a nozzle that can be screwed onto a regular bottle. Handgrips were also included to allow users to easily screw on the cap. We also kept in mind the cost of production during the design process, as we wanted to make this product more affordable for users. Thus, we chose to use thermoforming for the manufacturing process and Polyvinylidene Chloride for the plastic material because they are low in cost [5][6]. Plasticizers can also be added to the Polyvinylidene Chloride to make it more flexible for use in the elastic components of our lid, a much cheaper solution to buying two different types of plastics [6]. Finally, we wanted our solution to be reusable. Thus, we chose materials that could be washed for use past the lifetime of one bottle. Plastics were our materials of choice because they are strong, durable, recyclable and reusable [3]. As shown in the prototype, the two main components of the cap separate, so that they can be washed in the dishwasher or by hand for reuse.

Conclusion Overall, we wanted to reduce crust accumulation on ketchup bottles for us, the users. We want eating ketchup to be a more pleasant and sanitary experience. There is much more work to be done regarding our design, such as deciding on the angle of inclination of the inner funnel. But, we have developed the overall conceptual design that we believe accomplishes our objective. Credits Group Members: Sepehr, Gene, John and Jasmine Video planning: All Prototype (3D model): Mostly Sepehr and Jasmine Video script: All Video filming: Sepehr (John was also present and helping during process) Video acting: Gene and Jasmine (and Sepehr did a voice-over) Video editing: Sepehr Document: Gene, John and Jasmine Document editing: All References [1] Elisabeth Leamy and Vanessa Weber, Dining Out? Do You Know Which Restaurant Tabletop Item Is Germier Than a Toilet Seat? Good Morning America, Dec. 30, 2010. [Online]. Available:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/eating-tabletop-item-germier-toiletseat/story?id=12093016 [2] H. J. Heinz Company, Trivia, Heinz, 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.heinz.com/ourcompany/press-room/trivia.aspx
[3] Frank A. Paine and Heather Y. Paine, A Handbook of Food Packaging, 2nd ed. London, United Kingdom: Blackie Academic & Professional, 1992. [4] F. Paine, Handbook of Food Packaging, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992. [5] R. Corporation, Plastic Processing, Park Ridge: Noyes Data Corporation, 1986. [6] J. A. Brydson, Plastics Materials, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1995.