Biodegradable Memory-Card Holder With Molded-Fiber Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contemporary packaging materials for digital memory cards, such as plastic jewel-cases, are non-biodegradable and often discarded after use, contributing to environmental pollution due to slow degradation rates.
Innovation Solution
A biodegradable memory-card holder formed as a one-piece, unitary tray with a cover portion and bottom portion, featuring indentations, a hinge, and a closure tab, made from materials like molded fiber or pulp, allowing it to decompose naturally and be recycled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-biodegradable plastic materials are used for memory card packaging, then the packaging provides durable protection and structural integrity, but it contributes to environmental pollution and does not degrade quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from non-biodegradable plastic to biodegradable materials (molded fiber, pulp, or paperboard), transforming the environmental degradation characteristic while maintaining protective functionality through structural design elements like walls, indentations, and closure mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging employs composite construction combining biodegradable material with structural features (tray portion, cover portion, hinge, closure tab) to achieve both environmental compatibility and mechanical protection, creating a multi-functional packaging system that satisfies both protective and eco-friendly requirements
2Object-generated harmful factors
If biodegradable materials are used for packaging, then environmental pollution is reduced and degradation is quick, but the packaging may lack the structural strength and durability of plastic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the structural parameters of the biodegradable material through molded fiber or pulp construction, creating a rigid tray structure with optimized wall thicknesses and reinforcement features that provide adequate mechanical strength while maintaining biodegradability
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging is divided into functional segments (tray portion for card holding, cover portion for protection, hinge for connection, closure tab for sealing) that work together to distribute mechanical loads and enhance overall structural strength of the biodegradable material
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional plastic jewel cases are used, then the packaging is widely available and easy to manufacture, but it is frequently discarded and not recyclable due to small size and material limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to biodegradable molded fiber or pulp that can be manufactured using established molding techniques, maintaining ease of production while enabling composting and biological degradation pathways that plastic cannot support
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the previously harmful characteristic of plastic persistence in the environment into a beneficial feature by using biodegradable materials that naturally decompose, transforming waste from a pollution problem into a nutrient cycle component through composting or soil degradation
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments include, for example, a memory-card holder including a one-piece, unitary tray formed entirely from a bio-degradable material. The tray has a cover portion and a bottom portion formed therein. At least one of the cover portion and the bottom portion has an indentation to accept a digital memory-card. The tray further includes a protrusion area on at least three sides projecting outward from and substantially parallel to the cover portion and the bottom portion. A hinge is integrally formed into the unitary tray and between the cover portion and the bottom portion. The hinge is arranged to allow the cover portion to fold over the bottom portion of the tray. A closure tab and an insertion slot are formed on distal, opposing ends of the tray and arranged to latch the cover portion and the bottom portion to one another. Other devices, apparatuses, and arrangements are described.