Container Carrier Inner Web V-Shape Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container carriers fail to consistently engage and stabilize containers of varying diameters and sidewall qualities, often resulting in a loose or skewed package.
Innovation Solution
A carrier with perforations across the inner web that forms a 'V' shape when applied, ensuring consistent contact with the containers' sidewalls and preventing skewing or inverting, constructed from a thermoplastic material with apertures arranged in rows and ranks, and a flap extending into each aperture to enhance friction and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional carrier design is used, then the carrier can be applied to containers, but the package becomes loose or skewed when containers of varying diameters and sidewall qualities are used
Solution Approach 1:
The inner web is designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing it to dynamically adjust its shape and contact points when applied to containers of varying diameters. The web can flex and conform to different sidewall qualities while maintaining consistent contact, enabling the carrier to adapt to various container sizes without compromising package stability or compactness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the carrier is applied to smaller diameter containers, then the carrier can accommodate different container sizes, but the inner web may skew or invert
Solution Approach 1:
The inner web incorporates asymmetric features including a flap extending into the container aperture and a specific geometric configuration that prevents skewing. The web's asymmetric design allows it to maintain its shape and orientation when applied to smaller diameter containers, preventing the common problem of skewing or inverting while still accommodating various container sizes.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the inner web is made rigid to maintain shape, then the package structure is stable, but the carrier cannot adapt to various container diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The inner web is constructed as a flexible thin film or shell that can adapt to various container diameters while maintaining structural stability. The web's flexibility allows it to conform to different container sizes, and its thin film structure enables it to bend and flex without compromising the overall package structure or causing skewing.
4Ease of manufacture
If the carrier uses a simple structure for easy manufacture, then production is straightforward, but the carrier cannot consistently engage containers of varying sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is segmented into distinct functional components including the inner web, flaps, and container apertures, each designed to perform a specific function. This segmentation allows for straightforward manufacturing of individual components that can be assembled into a reliable carrier structure, enabling consistent engagement with containers of varying sizes while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The carrier effectively unitizes a range of container sizes and shapes, maintaining a tight and compact package by forming a 'V' shape with the inner web, preventing skewing and inverting, and allowing for easy application and removal.
Implementation Method 1
a flap extending into each aperture to enhance friction and stability
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A carrier and method of manufacture for a carrier that results in a package of containers includes a plastic sheet having an array of container apertures and an inner web. The inner web includes a flap that impinges into each container aperture thus creating a carrier that may be consistently applied to produce a desirable package.