Asymmetric Pot and Tray Orientation for Label Visibility

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing plant pot and tray systems do not effectively expose printed information on the sides of pots for visibility, limiting consumer access to plant identification and information during transportation and distribution.

Innovation Solution

A planting pot and tray system where pots with curved or rounded surfaces are designed to align within tray receptacles, ensuring that a side of the pot is oriented outwardly, allowing printed indicia on the sides to be visible. The tray receptacles are shaped to accommodate the pots in a specific orientation, with curved or straight walls aligning with the pot's sides, and drainage holes are included to prevent water blockage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If pots are placed in tray receptacles without specific orientation features, then the tray can hold multiple pots, but the printed information on pot sides cannot be reliably exposed for visibility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of printed information on potsVSAvoidcomplexity of tray receptacle structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receptacle employs asymmetric wall height configuration where the front wall is shorter than the rear wall, creating an asymmetric structure that forces the pot to be inserted in a specific orientation. This asymmetric design ensures that the rounded side of the pot aligns with the curved wall and the flat side aligns with the straight wall, thereby exposing the printed information on the pot side for visibility while maintaining a relatively simple receptacle structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Loss of information

If the front wall of the receptacle is made shorter to expose the pot side, then printed information becomes visible, but the receptacle structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of printed information on potsVSAvoidease of receptacle manufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The receptacle employs asymmetric wall height configuration where the front wall is shorter than the rear wall, creating an asymmetric structure that forces the pot to be inserted in a specific orientation. This asymmetric design ensures that the rounded side of the pot aligns with the curved wall and the flat side aligns with the straight wall, thereby exposing the printed information on the pot side for visibility while maintaining a relatively simple receptacle structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

3Adaptability or versatility

If pots are oriented randomly in the tray, then the tray can accommodate various pot sizes, but consumer identification of plants becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to accommodate different pot orientationsVSAvoidease of plant identification by consumers

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The receptacle employs asymmetric wall height configuration where the front wall is shorter than the rear wall, creating an asymmetric structure that forces the pot to be inserted in a specific orientation. This asymmetric design ensures that the rounded side of the pot aligns with the curved wall and the flat side aligns with the straight wall, thereby exposing the printed information on the pot side for visibility while maintaining a relatively simple receptacle structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The receptacle incorporates a curved wall that corresponds to the rounded side of the pot, creating a geometric match that guides the pot into the correct orientation. This curved surface works in conjunction with the asymmetric wall heights to ensure consistent positioning of the pot, thereby reliably exposing the printed information for consumer identification while accommodating standard pot dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS11564360B2Planting pot and tray system and method

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 EAST JORDAN PLASTICS

AI summary

A planting pot and tray system comprises a plurality of pots and a tray having multiple receptacles configured to receive the pots. Each pot includes at least one rounded side, and at least one generally flat side, with each receptacle including at least one curved wall and at least one generally straight wall. The receptacles are configured to receive the pots with the rounded and flat sides of the pot engaging with respective walls of the receptacle to whereby the respective shapes of the receptacles and pots orient the pots within the receptacles. A front wall of the receptacle is shorter than the pot whereby a portion of side of the pot is exposed and directed outwardly from the tray.