Bottle Crate Quill Structure for Thin-Wall Bundle Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bottle crates require a certain minimum material thickness for cutouts, limiting design flexibility and material savings, especially when transporting bottle packs with wrap-around cardboard boxes.

Innovation Solution

A bottle crate design featuring quills with ribbed attachments that pierce the bottle containers, allowing for thinner material usage and controlled tearing during insertion, while ensuring stability and preventing bottle collision during transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional quills are used in bottle crates, then bottle containers can be transported, but the cutouts require minimum material thickness which limits design flexibility and prevents material savings

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign freedomVSAvoidmaterial thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The quill structure is modified by adding a ribbed attachment at the upper end that extends radially outward. This structural parameter change allows the quill to pierce through the bottom of bottle containers effectively, eliminating the need for large cutouts and enabling thinner crate wall materials while maintaining functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The quill is divided into functional segments: a main body extending from the base and a separate ribbed attachment at the upper end. The ribbed attachment with its radially extending ribs is specifically designed to pierce the bottle container bottom, separating the piercing function from the structural support function, thereby enabling thinner materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of substance

If thinner material is used for bottle crate walls, then material savings are achieved, but stability and strength during transport may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial usageVSAvoidcrate stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The ribbed attachment structure changes the mechanical parameters of the quill system. The radially extending ribs concentrate force during piercing while the main body provides structural support, allowing thinner crate materials to maintain sufficient strength through optimized force distribution rather than relying on material thickness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The quill system combines different structural elements (main body and ribbed attachment) that work together as a composite structure. This composite design provides both piercing capability and structural strength, enabling the use of thinner materials in the crate walls while maintaining overall stability during transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP4650288A1Bottle crate
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 SCHOELLER ALLIBERT GMBH
  • EP4650288A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4650288A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4650288A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a bottle crate (10) with a crate base (28) and surrounding side walls (12a, 12b) and with an interior enclosed by the side walls (12a, 12b) and the crate base (28) for receiving individual bottles and/or bottle bundles (70), wherein at least one quill (16) is arranged in the interior of the bottle crate (10), which extends from the crate base (28) into the interior. The quill (16) is provided to have a main body (32) extending from the crate base (28) and, at its upper end, a ribbed attachment (50) adjoining the main body (32), which is designed to pierce the bottle bundle (70) from the bottom when the bottle crate (10) is loaded with a bottle bundle (70).