Cageless Molded Container Assembly with Curved Tank and Buttresses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) face issues with access difficulties due to their cuboid shape, deformation under liquid stress leading to leaks and waste, and challenges in stacking and storage due to metal cages warping or corroding.
Innovation Solution
A reusable, cageless molded container assembly with a pallet and molded container featuring a tank portion, leg supports, and connection systems that secure the container to the pallet, allowing for easier access, stacking, and reduced stress effects, including embedded components like metal connection nuts and specific geometries for lid and pallet engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a cuboid shaped molded tank is used in conventional IBCs, then the container can be manufactured with simple geometry, but access to fill openings and outlets becomes difficult when another IBC is stacked on top
Solution Approach 1:
The molded tank transitions from a cuboid shape to a curved, dome-like shape with convex curvatures on the top and bottom surfaces. This curvature allows fill openings and outlets to be positioned on the sides of the tank, making them easily accessible even when containers are stacked vertically. The curved geometry maintains manufacturing feasibility while dramatically improving operational access.
2Device complexity
If a cuboid shaped molded tank is used, then the container structure is simple, but the tank undergoes warping and deformation due to uneven stresses from enclosed liquids
Solution Approach 1:
The curved dome-like shape with convex curvatures on top and bottom surfaces distributes liquid pressure more evenly throughout the tank structure. This geometric configuration eliminates stress concentration points that occur in flat-walled cuboid tanks, preventing warping and deformation while maintaining structural integrity under liquid load.
Solution Approach 2:
Buttresses are strategically positioned at specific locations where stress concentrations occur, providing localized reinforcement. These buttresses extend from the top to bottom of the tank and are positioned to counteract the specific stress patterns generated by liquid pressure, preventing deformation at critical areas without requiring overall structural complexity.
3Strength
If deformation near the fill openings occurs, then the molded tank structure is compromised, but this causes the tank to leak and crack resulting in liquid loss
Solution Approach 1:
The curved geometry around the fill openings eliminates sharp corners and stress concentration points that lead to cracking. The smooth convex curvature distributes stresses evenly, preventing the formation of cracks that would cause leaks and liquid loss, thereby protecting structural integrity and preventing substance loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcement elements are specifically positioned around the fill openings and other high-stress areas to provide localized strength enhancement. This targeted reinforcement prevents deformation and cracking at critical locations without requiring overall tank thickening, maintaining both structural integrity and leak prevention.
4Strength
If metal reinforcement cages are used to support molded tanks, then the container gains structural strength, but the metal cages can become warped or bent making stacked IBCs a collapsing hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The metal reinforcement cage is completely removed from the IBC structure. The molded tank is designed as a standalone structural unit with integrated buttresses and curved geometry that provide all necessary support and stacking strength without requiring external metal cages, eliminating the warping and collapsing hazards associated with metal frameworks.
5Strength
If metal reinforcement cages are used, then the container structure is strengthened, but the metal cages may rust or corrode making stacked IBCs a collapsing hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The metal reinforcement cage is completely removed from the structure. The tank relies on its own molded structural integrity through curved geometry and integrated buttresses, eliminating all metal components that could rust or corrode, thereby removing the source of the harmful effect entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure uses composite construction combining the molded tank material with integrated plastic or composite buttresses, replacing metal reinforcement with corrosion-resistant materials that maintain structural strength without the rust and corrosion problems of metal cages.
6Productivity
If conventional IBCs are stacked, then storage space is optimized, but the metal cages become warped or bent creating instability
Solution Approach 1:
The metal reinforcement cage is removed, eliminating the component that warps and bends under stacking loads. The molded tank with its integrated curved structure and buttresses provides stable stacking capability without the instability problems of metal cages, maintaining storage efficiency while improving stack stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A molded container assembly includes a pallet, a molded container, and a plurality of connection systems. The pallet supports the molded container thereon and includes stacking alignment structure for stacking the pallet on another molded container assembly. The molded container includes a tank portion, several leg supports, and several buttresses. The tank portion includes several curved sidewalls and a fill opening. The leg supports include lower sections and upper sections that extend above the fill opening for spacing a pallet stacked on top of the molded container above the fill opening. The upper sections include pallet engaging structure for engaging pallets of at least two different types. The buttresses extend between the tank portion and the leg supports. The connection systems include washers that allow for shrinkage and expansion between the molded container and the pallet in a number of directions.