Adjustable Cardboard Fruit Container with Perforated Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fruit containers for near-spherical fruits like oranges, tangerines, and apples are not optimized for space efficiency, are not recyclable, and have fixed volumetry that does not adapt to fruit dimensions, making them difficult to carry and open.
Innovation Solution
A container made from a rectangular cardboard or paperboard sheet with folding lines and adhesive areas, featuring a trapezoidal tab for closure and ventilation windows, allowing for adjustable size and easy opening through perforation lines, enabling minimal volume storage and recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional fixed-volume fruit containers are used, then fruit is protected and transported, but the container occupies excessive space and is difficult to carry in a pocket
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into a flat laminar structure that can be segmented into different functional zones (base, lateral walls, closing tab) that fold together. This segmentation allows the container to transition from a compact flat state to a three-dimensional form that fits the fruit, resolving the contradiction between small storage volume and adequate fruit protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs dynamic folding lines and adhesive areas that allow it to transform from a flat two-dimensional sheet into a three-dimensional cylindrical form. This dynamic transformation enables the container to adapt its volume to match the fruit size while maintaining portability in its collapsed state.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fixed-volume containers are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the container cannot adapt to different fruit dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure incorporates folding lines and adhesive areas that enable dynamic transformation from a flat state to a three-dimensional cylindrical form. This allows the same container design to adapt to different fruit diameters by adjusting the degree of rolling and folding, providing versatility without requiring multiple container sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The container allows variation in its dimensional parameters (height, diameter, volume) by changing the rolling configuration of the central sector and the positioning of the closing tab. This parameter flexibility enables the container to adapt to different fruit sizes while maintaining a consistent base design.
3Reliability
If traditional containers are used, then they provide basic protection, but they are not recyclable as a whole
Solution Approach 1:
The container integrates all functional elements (base, lateral walls, closing mechanism, ventilation) into a single unified laminar structure made from one continuous piece of cardboard or paperboard. This merging of components into a monolithic structure enables the entire container to be recycled together without disassembly, improving recyclability while keeping the manufacturing process simple through die-cutting and folding.
4Ease of operation
If a closed container structure is used, then fruit is protected, but the container is difficult to open
Solution Approach 1:
The closing tab is connected to the main body through a perforated separation line, creating a segmented structure where the tab can be easily detached by pulling. This segmentation maintains the strength of the closed container while enabling easy opening through simple manual separation at the perforated line.
Solution Approach 2:
The perforation lines are pre-formed during manufacturing, creating predetermined weak points that guide the opening action. This preliminary preparation of separation lines allows the user to open the container easily by simply pulling the closing tab, without requiring tools or complex opening mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
Container for spherical products, particularly fruit, that is designed for storing pieces of fruit with a near-spherical configuration, comprised of a rectangular laminar body made of cardboard, paper or paperboard defining a main central sector (1), as well as two lateral sectors (2) that are defined by respective longitudinal folding lines (3), with the main sector (1) comprising a closing tab (7) on one of the ends thereof in order to roll said sector on the pieces of fruit (4) contained therein and to fix it to the opposite end thereof, with the lateral sectors (2) comprising arched folding lines (9) as well as adhesive areas (12) in order to fix the ends thereof to the central sector (1), with said arched folding lines (9) determining lateral retention walls for the fruits contained therein when the container is unfolded, with the particularity that the container comprises die cut and/or perforation lines for opening the closed container.