Keeping it in the bag

The only problem with bags is that users have to keep them the right way up, if nothing is to fall out of them. One can of course close or seal the top of the bag, but this may not be the ideal way of looking after what is inside. In addition, to access what is inside the bag, one then needs to open it, and then close or reseal it. This can only be done a limited number of times. If the bag is sealed, then of course, it can usually only be sealed and unsealed once. Repeating the process usually results in the seal not being a proper seal any more. The dilemma is a particular problem for supermarkets that sell fruit. Shoppers like their fruit to be in an open bag. They are closer to it and can see more clearly what state it is in. Sealed in a closed bag with moisture, there is also a tendency for the fruit to rot more quickly, unless it is in an inert atmosphere. It must also then be marked with a sell by date. The problem with fruit in open bags, particularly small fruits like cherries and strawberries, is that some of them manage to end up on the supermarket floor where they get trodden on, making a mess and forming a squishy patch on which somebody can slip. There are also numerous other applications where it is undesirable for objects to fall out of bags, whether they are bags or shopping, bags containing children's toys, or spare parts to be carried to a job where they are to be fitted. The Challenge Our challenge this month, therefore, is to design a smart bag that contains whatever is inside it in such a way that it is easily accessible when required, but otherwise cannot release the contents if it happens to be tipped sideways or be turned upside down. The obvious solution is a box with a good catch, and preferably a lock. This is however, overkill. The solution we will offer next month is much simpler, and costs so little that even the most cost-conscious supermarket buyers should not object. To intrigue you, we can tell you that if you see it, you will at first think it cannot work, but it does, and has been extensively tested. See if you can come up with anything better. Solution The solution to our Coffee-time Challenge for March comes from Sick, in the form of their 'PBS' range, the letters standing for: Pressure Basic Switch. These devices, which have ranges from 0 to 1 bar to 0 to 600 bar, plus absolute and compound/vacuum versions, have two joints where they can be rotated. The first, at the base of the device, which is secured by tightening a large nut, allows the device to be rotated on its mounting through up to 320º, so that the cable connector can be oriented in the optimal direction, rather than applying a bending force to cables. The second, higher up, allows the display to be rotated relative to the device through up to 330º, so that the display and control buttons can be oriented for optimal access and observation. Last but not least, the electronic display can be quickly reprogrammed through a few button presses so that it is the other way up, or rather, right way up, when the sensor is upside down. When it was shown, the immediate comment was that since it was electronic, why the numbers could not also be turned upwards when the device was mounted sideways. This too, is of course, perfectly feasible to accomplish, using a dot matrix, although is not presently offered with this device. Environmental protection is to IP67 and prices are from £162.