Bakery Tray with Dual-Wall Front and Rear Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing molded plastic trays for shipping and storing baked goods are susceptible to breakage when supporting hot items due to the reduced strength caused by shorter front and rear walls, which compromises their structural integrity during stacking and handling.
Innovation Solution
A tray design featuring a base with side walls, and front and rear walls that are shorter than the side walls, with inner and outer wall portions and ribs for reinforcement, and reduced width portions at the upper edges to accommodate notches for cross-stacking, enhancing structural strength and durability while maintaining access to the contents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the front and rear walls are made shorter to provide access to baked goods when trays are stacked, then ease of operation is improved, but strength is reduced making the tray susceptible to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dual-wall structure where the front and rear walls consist of an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion spaced apart from each other. This creates a three-dimensional reinforcement structure that adds strength without increasing the overall height of the wall, thus maintaining access capability while resolving the strength deficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The front and rear walls are constructed as composite structures with inner and outer wall portions working together. The spacing between these wall portions creates a reinforced composite structure that provides both strength and the necessary access opening, effectively combining the benefits of structural integrity with operational accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the front and rear walls are made shorter to allow stacking access, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased breakage susceptibility
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a dual-wall structure with inner and outer portions spaced apart, the invention adds a dimensional element that reinforces the wall structure. This reinforcement increases reliability and prevents breakage while maintaining the shorter overall height needed for stacking access.
3Strength
If the tray walls are reinforced to increase strength, then strength is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional structural components
Solution Approach 1:
The front and rear walls are segmented into inner wall portions and outer wall portions that are spaced apart. This segmentation creates a reinforced structure through the spacing relationship between segments, providing strength while using simple geometric divisions rather than complex additional components.
Data Source
AI summary
A tray, such as for baked goods, includes a base and a pair of opposed side walls extending upward from side edges of the base. A front wall and a rear wall extend upward from a front edge and a rear edge of the base. The front wall and rear wall each have at least a portion that is shorter than the side walls. The front wall and rear wall each include an inner wall portion spaced inwardly of an outer wall portion. The front wall and rear wall each including at least one portion of reduced width at an upper edge of the front wall and the rear wall. The portion of reduced width accommodates the notches of a similar tray cross stacked thereon.