Asymmetric Stacking Blocks for Bakery Tray Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bakery trays are difficult to stack and unstack, especially in high stacks above shoulder level, and do not allow for smooth destacking without a fulcrum, particularly in low stack orientations.
Innovation Solution
The bakery tray design includes rotating the tray 180° for low stack orientation, with strategically positioned stacking blocks and recesses on the sidewalls, allowing for secure multi-level stacking and easy destacking in any direction by aligning common sides or using angled slide walls for support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If trays are stacked in high stack orientation to maximize space between trays, then storage capacity is improved, but destacking becomes difficult when stack height exceeds shoulder level
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking blocks are positioned asymmetrically on the tray sides, with front blocks closer to the front end and rear blocks closer to the back end. This asymmetric positioning creates corresponding asymmetric recesses in stacked trays, enabling automatic alignment and engagement that facilitates easy destacking even from high stacks, while maintaining secure stacking for increased storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stacking blocks and recesses are designed to automatically align and engage when trays are stacked, creating a self-aligning system. The asymmetric positioning ensures that trays automatically find their correct orientation and position, eliminating the need for manual alignment or fulcrum assistance during destacking operations.
2Length of stationary object
If trays are stacked in low stack orientation to minimize stack height, then space efficiency is improved, but smooth destacking without fulcrum is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric positioning of stacking blocks creates corresponding asymmetric recesses that work together to provide smooth destacking in both high and low stack orientations. The front and rear blocks are positioned at different distances from the tray ends, creating a mechanical interface that allows controlled release without requiring fulcrum assistance.
3Ease of manufacture
If stacking blocks are positioned symmetrically on tray sides, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but multi-directional stacking capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking blocks are positioned asymmetrically, with front blocks closer to the front end and rear blocks closer to the back end of the tray. This asymmetric arrangement enables the trays to be stacked in multiple directions and orientations, providing versatility in storage and transport configurations while remaining manufacturable through standard injection molding processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A bakery tray includes a base member with a front end and a back end, and a pair of sidewalls extending upward from the base member and opposing each other between the front end and the back end of the base member. The sidewalls each have a pair of stacking blocks and a top rail with a pair of low stack recesses therein. The pair of stacking blocks includes a front block positioned a first distance from the front end and a rear block positioned a second distance from the back end. The pair of low stack recesses includes a front recess spaced from the front end by a distance corresponding to the second distance and a rear recess spaced from the back end by a distance corresponding to the first distance. By this structure, bakery trays are stackable in a low stack orientation and a high stack orientation.