Cardboard Container With Folded Flanges For Stacking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current product packaging containers face issues with rigidity, leading to deterioration and inefficient stacking due to either insufficient or excessive rigidity, which affects storage and transport logistics, and often result in wasted space from protruding reinforcement elements.

Innovation Solution

A container configured from an extended flat sheet with specific folding and attachment of elements, including flanges, to create a rigid internal cavity that allows efficient stacking without protrusions, enhancing storage capacity and preventing snags between containers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the container is made rigid to withstand stacking stresses, then the container strength is improved, but the container weight and volume increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer strengthVSAvoidcontainer weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The container structure is divided into multiple segments including front walls, lateral walls, and flanges that can be folded and assembled. This segmentation allows the container to achieve rigidity through its assembled configuration rather than requiring a uniformly thick or heavy material throughout, thus reducing overall weight while maintaining strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flanges extend perpendicular to the main body of the container, creating a third dimension that provides structural support and stacking capability without increasing the footprint or weight of the container base. This dimensional extension allows rigidity to be achieved vertically rather than horizontally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Strength

If the container is made rigid to withstand stacking stresses, then the container strength is improved, but the container volume occupied increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer strengthVSAvoidcontainer volume
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The segmented construction with folded walls and flanges allows the container to achieve rigidity through its geometric configuration rather than requiring excessive material volume. The assembly of multiple planar segments creates a rigid three-dimensional structure with efficient space utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

By extending flanges in a perpendicular dimension, the container achieves stacking capability without increasing its horizontal footprint. This vertical dimensionality allows multiple containers to be stacked efficiently, reducing the total volume required for storage while maintaining individual container strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If protruding elements are added to improve stacking, then the stacking capability is improved, but the space occupied by projections increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestacking capabilityVSAvoidspace occupied by projections
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The flanges extend perpendicular to the container body, utilizing the vertical dimension to provide stacking surfaces. This approach allows containers to be stacked on their ends rather than requiring horizontal protrusions, thereby maintaining compact storage space while improving stacking capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The flanges serve multiple functions: they provide structural rigidity to the container, enable stacking capability, and maintain the container's compact footprint. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate stacking mechanisms that would occupy additional space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If the container is made rigid to prevent deterioration, then the container reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container is constructed from segmented wall elements that are folded and assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately with standard processes, then assembled into a rigid structure through simple folding and attachment operations, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The container structure utilizes controlled flexibility in the wall segments that can be folded into place to form rigid angles. This dynamic assembly process allows the structure to be simple in individual components but rigid in its assembled configuration, achieving reliability without complex manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4349724A1container
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 CARTONAJES BERNABEU SAU
  • EP4349724A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4349724A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4349724A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present invention falls within the technical field of storage using containers, preferably cardboard containers. In a particular embodiment, said containers are intended for packaging food products, available in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on the products to be packaged. In particular, the present invention relates to a container for packaging products. Said container is obtained from the folding at various points and the attachment to one another of elements of an extended flat sheet, particularly made of cardboard, which after its assembly configures said product packaging container.