Bottle Box Bottom Opening Resistance via Interlocking Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boxes for bottles struggle to provide uniform resistance to bottom opening, especially when containing heavy bottles, as existing solutions do not ensure complete engagement of resisting elements, leading to potential accidental opening.
Innovation Solution
A box design featuring a die-cut sheet with laterally adjacent and superimposable bottom flaps, incorporating interlocking wings and slots at multiple folding lines to distribute stress uniformly and enhance closure stability, allowing for increased resistance to bottom opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If tabs are added to bottom flaps to interlock with slots at folding lines, then resistance to bottom opening is increased, but uniform distribution of resisting elements is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom flaps are segmented into multiple tabs (at least two tabs per bottom flap) that are spatially distributed across the flap surface. This segmentation allows the resisting elements to be distributed uniformly across the bottom closure, preventing stress concentration at single points while maintaining high resistance to opening forces.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple engagement mechanisms are merged into a unified system: tabs on bottom flaps engage with slots at folding lines, and additional tabs engage with slots on the bottom element itself. This combination of multiple engagement points creates a distributed network of resisting elements that uniformly prevents bottom opening.
2Stability of the object's composition
If bottom flaps are designed with engagement elements, then closure stability is improved, but the box structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom flaps serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the bottom closure, contain engagement tabs for interlocking with slots, and distribute closure forces uniformly. This multi-functionality achieves high closure stability without adding separate dedicated components, thereby limiting structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement elements (tabs and slots) are pre-formed as integral parts of the die-cut sheet during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that when the box is assembled, the engagement mechanisms are already in place and properly positioned, providing immediate closure stability without requiring additional assembly steps or complex structures.
3Reliability
If multiple engagement elements are distributed uniformly, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The die-cut sheet is designed with all engagement elements (tabs, slots, and folding lines) integrated into a single flat pattern. During the die-cutting and folding process, these elements self-assemble into the three-dimensional box structure with uniform distribution of resisting elements. This self-service approach achieves high reliability through uniform element distribution while keeping manufacturing simple through a single die-cut operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A box for bottles and the like with increased resistance to bottom opening, comprising a die-cut sheet-like element (1) which defines lateral faces (2,3,4,5) separated by longitudinal folding lines (6). A bottom element (10) is connected to the free end of one of the lateral faces, with the interposition of a first transverse folding line (11), and ends with a closure flap (13) which is separated by a second transverse folding line (12). Bottom flaps (15) are provided at the ends of the lateral faces (2,3,4,5) which are laterally adjacent, when the box is formed, to the lateral face provided with the bottom element; the bottom flaps (15) are connected to the laterally adjacent lateral faces by means of third transverse folding lines (16) and can be folded onto the bottom. There are also locking wings (30), which protrude laterally from the bottom flaps, and locking slots (31,32), which can be engaged by the bottom wings. At least one of the locking slots (31,32) is defined at the first transverse folding line (11).