Protective Contact Strips for Beverage Tray Label Abrasion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Beverage containers suffer damage and abrasions due to imperfections in HDPE trays, exacerbated by environmental exposure and vibrations during storage and transportation, which affects the labels and surfaces of the containers.

Innovation Solution

Affixing protective contact strips to the walls, end walls, and dividing sections of the beverage trays to prevent scratches and abrasions on the containers, with the strips being made of materials that withstand environmental extremes and high-temperature washing processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If beverage trays are exposed to environmental elements and reused multiple times, then the trays can be used repeatedly for distribution, but the HDPE surfaces develop scratch-like imperfections that damage beverage container labels and surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetray lifespanVSAvoidsurface abrasion damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A protective contact strip made of soft, abrasion-resistant material is introduced as an intermediary between the HDPE tray surface and the beverage container. The strip is affixed to the tray at contact points, absorbing the abrasive interaction and preventing direct contact between the container label and the scratched HDPE surface, thereby resolving the contradiction between tray reusability and container surface protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than attempting to protect the entire tray surface uniformly, the invention applies protective contact strips only at specific locations where containers actually contact the tray (walls, end walls, and dividing sections). This localized approach protects against abrasion at critical contact points while maintaining the overall durability and reusability of the HDPE tray

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If protective contact strips are affixed to tray walls and dividing sections, then beverage container surfaces are protected from abrasion, but the tray structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelabel and surface protectionVSAvoidtray structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective contact strips are designed as simple, inexpensive components that can be easily affixed and replaced if needed. They are made from cost-effective soft materials and applied only where necessary, adding minimal complexity to the tray structure while providing effective protection against abrasion to beverage container labels and surfaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS8297441B2Protective contact strips for beverage trays

Publication Date: 2012.10.30 PEPSICO INC

AI summary

A method and an apparatus for protecting the surfaces and labels of beverage containers are disclosed. The invention includes a beverage tray having a floor and walls extending from the floor. The beverage tray includes a plurality of dividing sections that divide the beverage tray into beverage sections. Each beverage section may hold a single beverage container. The beverage tray may include a plurality of contact strips positioned within the beverage tray and configured to contact the surface of the beverage container. The contact strips may be placed on the walls of the beverage tray or on the dividing sections of the beverage tray. The contact strips may be applied to existing beverage trays to protect the surfaces and labels of beverage bottles from being damaged by the surface of the beverage trays.