Adaptable Beverage Crate With Corner Support Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage crates are not suitable for transporting a large number of bottles or bottle carriers of different sizes, as they are designed for specific formats, making it impractical for consumers to purchase larger quantities of bottles or carriers.
Innovation Solution
A versatile drinks crate that can accommodate individual bottles and bottle carriers of various formats, including those for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 bottles, with support elements like quills and projections to stabilize bottles and carriers, allowing for efficient stacking and transportation without needing to hold bottles by their necks or caps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If beverage crates are designed with a large number of compartments and compartment walls for transporting individual bottles, then individual bottles can be securely transported, but the crates become unsuitable for inserting bottles into bottle carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the internal compartment walls that divide the crate into individual bottle slots, extracting the obstacle that prevented bottle carrier insertion. The crate floor is redesigned to provide support only at the corners, allowing large open spaces that accommodate various bottle carrier formats while still preventing diagonal placement through corner support engagement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If quill boxes are designed for a specific bottle carrier format (e.g., six packs), then that specific format is securely held, but other formats (eight, ten, or twelve bottles) cannot be inserted
Solution Approach 1:
The crate corner supports are designed with a dual function: they provide corner support for individual bottles placed directly in the crate, and they engage with the corner bottles of various bottle carrier formats (six packs, eight packs, ten packs, twelve packs). This universal design allows the same crate structure to securely hold multiple different bottle carrier formats without requiring format-specific configurations.
3Stability of the object's composition
If bottles are held by their necks or crown caps for stability, then transport stability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the complex structures that would hold bottles by their necks or crown caps from the underside of the crate base. Instead, stability is achieved through the corner support elements that engage with the corner bottles or bottle carriers, providing sufficient stability without requiring additional holding structures.
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~2(c)
Figure 4(a)~3(e)
Figure 5a~5c
AI summary
The crate (1.1) has a half guide (19.1), a full guide (18.1) and a projection protruded among four bottle storage positions to support individual bottles and bottle carriers. The half or full guide is formed in middle of the storage position at a crate bottom. The projection is formed on a crate bottom (2.1) in middle of two centrally series storage positions. A supporting wall is formed at bottom in middle of the centrally series storage position and arranged on an end for lateral supporting of the bottles or bottle carriers.