Bottle Crate Quill Layout for Mixed Bottle and Multipack Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions fail to provide a solution for safely transporting both individual bottles and multipacks of bottles, ensuring they are protected from breakage and noise during return transport, while being cost-effective and material-efficient.
Innovation Solution
A box design with quills of varying heights, including a first type that stabilizes bottles at shoulder height and a second type that is shorter, combined with a container carrier made of foldable material, provides a grid of bottle holders for both individual bottles and multipacks, with the design incorporating a frame, a first type of quill having a central notch and a second type of quill with a notch for receiving a portion of the container support, and a base, all made of foldable flat material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single type of quill is used for all bottle holders, then the design is simple and material usage is uniform, but bottles cannot be effectively stabilized at shoulder height and noise/breakage protection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing two distinct quill types with different heights tailored to specific positions within the crate. First type quills (100-130mm height) are positioned at critical locations where bottles require shoulder-height stabilization, while second type quills (30-40mm height) are used in positions where lower support suffices. This localized differentiation optimizes bottle protection and noise reduction precisely where needed, rather than uniformly across all positions.
2Reliability
If quills extend to bottle shoulder height for all positions, then bottle stabilization is maximized, but material consumption and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces material consumption by applying local quality - using full-height first type quills only at positions where bottles require maximum stabilization (contacting bottle shoulders), while using shorter second type quills at positions where lower support is adequate. This selective approach maintains necessary bottle protection while significantly reducing overall quill material usage compared to a uniform high-height design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by providing stabilization height that exceeds minimum requirements only where necessary (first type quills at critical positions), while using partial/reduced height quills (second type) where full stabilization is not needed. This ensures adequate protection at critical points while avoiding excessive material usage in non-critical areas.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the crate design is optimized for multipacks only, then multipack transport is efficient, but individual bottles cannot be safely transported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing the crate with a standardized grid of bottle holders and two types of quills that can accommodate both individual bottles and multipacks. The first type quills provide shoulder-height stabilization for individual bottles, while the same quill system supports multipacks. This multi-functional design allows a single crate type to serve multiple purposes without requiring complex reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the crate into standardized bottle holder positions with a grid pattern, where each position can independently receive either an individual bottle or be part of a multipack arrangement. The quills are segmented into two types that can be assigned to different positions based on the loading configuration, enabling flexible adaptation to individual bottles or multipacks.
4Reliability
If all quills are made of high-strength material to prevent breakage, then bottle protection is maximized, but manufacturing cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality in material allocation by using stronger first type quills (100-130mm) at positions where bottles require maximum protection and contact stabilization, while using lighter second type quills (30-40mm) at positions where less support is needed. This localized strength distribution provides adequate breakage protection where critical while reducing overall crate weight compared to a uniformly strong design.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a bottle crate (10) comprising a first (20) and a second (22) type of quills, wherein each quill has at least one web with an end surface directed outwards from the center of the quill for stabilizing a bottle placed in a bottle holder, wherein no plane extending from the end surface of a web to the center of the quill is parallel to a side wall of the crate, and the first type of quills is configured such that the end section of each quill of the first type, which is furthest from the bottom of the crate, has a central indentation for receiving a part of the container support, and each bottle, once placed in a bottle holder, is surrounded by at least two quills, wherein at least one quill is a quill of the first type.The present invention also relates to a container support (42) made of a foldable flat material, designed for insertion into the box according to the invention, as well as a combination of box and container support according to the invention.