Article Carrier Heel Protection via Outward Flap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wrap-around article carriers, such as those for cans or bottles, often fail to effectively retain the heel portions of articles, leading to protrusion and increased risk of tears due to over-tightening or movement, as conventional designs do not adequately protect the heel area and can result in damage during handling or impact.
Innovation Solution
The proposed article carrier features angularly related panels with a retaining aperture and a tab portion that protrudes into the aperture, along with hinged flaps that fold inward to engage the article's heel, providing enhanced retention and reinforcement by conforming to the article's profile and distributing stress more evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the package is tightened to improve article retention, then the articles are held more securely, but the heel portions protrude further and become more susceptible to tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a flap that extends outwardly beyond the carton surface to cover and protect the protruding heel portions of articles. This protective flap is positioned in advance to prevent tearing that would otherwise occur due to the necessary tight packaging, thus resolving the contradiction between secure retention and heel protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dimensionality change by extending the protective flap in a new spatial dimension - outwardly beyond the carton surface rather than only inwardly. This outward extension creates a protective shield that covers the vulnerable heel areas without interfering with the tight packaging required for secure article retention.
2Device complexity
If conventional heel retaining flaps extend inwardly only, then the structure is simpler, but the heel portions are not protected and can protrude and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by modifying the flap configuration to extend outwardly beyond the carton surface in addition to the inward extension. This creates a protective shield that covers the vulnerable heel areas, providing heel protection while maintaining relative structural simplicity through the use of existing flap elements positioned in a new spatial dimension.
Data Source
AI summary
An article carrier has a pair of angularly related panels (1, 14, 18, 20) and an article retaining feature (40). The angularly related panels are hingedly connected together along a fold line (26, 30). The retaining feature includes a retaining aperture (46) for receiving a portion of an article to be received in the carrier. The aperture is defined in one of the angularly related panels and extends into the other of the angularly related panels. The retaining feature further includes a tab portion (56) protruding into the aperture. The tab portion is positioned such that the fold line between the angularly related panels extends across the tab portion and terminates at an apex of the tab portion.