Carton Divider with Semicylindrical Cavities for Bottle Cushioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging elements fail to adequately fill void spaces, provide sufficient cushioning, and resist crushing for cylindrically shaped objects like plastic or glass bottles, and are cumbersome for shipping.
Innovation Solution
A carton divider with a semicylindrical pattern and stabilizing projections that can be folded or bent to reduce space occupied, offering increased compressional strength and resistance to crushing, while allowing for efficient packaging and shipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional packaging elements are used, then the packaging structure is simple, but they fail to adequately fill void spaces and provide sufficient cushioning for cylindrically shaped objects
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging element incorporates semicylindrical portions with curved surfaces that conform to the cylindrical shape of bottles. These curved surfaces provide superior void space filling and cushioning compared to flat surfaces, as they naturally accommodate the contours of cylindrical products while distributing impact forces more effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging element is designed to nest within the carton structure, with semicylindrical portions that fit into corresponding void spaces between bottles and carton walls. This nesting arrangement maximizes the use of available space while providing targeted cushioning protection where needed.
2Strength
If traditional packaging elements are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but they do not provide sufficient stacking strength or resistance to crushing
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging element is divided into multiple semicylindrical portions separated by crest portions. This segmentation creates a corrugated structure with multiple arches that distribute compressional forces across multiple structural elements, significantly increasing stacking strength and resistance to crushing while maintaining manufacturability through standard forming processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The semicylindrical portions with their curved geometries provide inherent structural strength similar to arches, which are naturally resistant to compressional forces. The curved surfaces distribute loads more effectively than flat surfaces, enhancing stacking strength without requiring additional complex structural additions.
3Ease of operation
If packaging elements are designed with fixed rigid shapes, then they provide consistent protection, but they are cumbersome and difficult to package for shipment
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging element incorporates flexible regions including semicylinder slots and sidewall slots that allow the structure to dynamically adapt its shape during compression and shipping. These flexible regions enable the packaging element to be compressed into a compact form for efficient shipping while maintaining its protective function when deployed, as the flexible slots allow controlled deformation without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging element's physical parameters, particularly its volume and shape, can change between shipping and usage states. The flexible slots allow the element to transition from an expanded protective configuration to a compressed shipping configuration, optimizing both protective performance and shipping efficiency without requiring multiple separate components.
4Reliability
If packaging elements are designed with complex three-dimensional shapes, then they provide better product protection, but they occupy more space during shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging element is designed with flexible regions including semicylinder slots and sidewall slots that enable dynamic compression during shipping. These slots allow the three-dimensional structure to be collapsed into a compact form, significantly reducing shipping volume while maintaining the structural integrity and crushing resistance needed for product protection when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging element can be nested or compressed into a compact configuration for shipping, with the semicylindrical portions and flexible slots allowing tight packing. This nesting capability minimizes the space occupied during shipping while the element expands to its full protective configuration when placed in the carton, ensuring both space efficiency and protection reliability.
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 carton divider effectively fills void spaces, provides enhanced cushioning, and offers improved stacking strength and resistance to crushing, while being more efficient to package and ship due to its flexible design.
Implementation Method 1
the carton divider, which allows for a degree of inward and/or outward flexion and resilient recovery toward the original shape
Implementation Method 2
stabilizing projections that provide increased to compressional strength and allow the carton divider to better resist crushing
Data Source
AI summary
A carton divider, including at least some of an elongate body; one or more adjacent semicylindrical portions, each including a sidewall that extends between opposing terminating sidewall ends to a vertex; an intermediate recurve portion that joins the terminating sidewall ends of adjacent semicylindrical portions; a first outer recurve portion extending along the terminating sidewall end of an outermost one of the semicylindrical portions; a second outer recurve portion extending along the terminating sidewall end of one other outermost one of the semicylindrical portions; at least one semicylinder slot, wherein portions of the first outer recurve portion, the second outer recurve portion, and the intermediate recurve portions proximate the semicylinder slot form recurve hinge portions; and at least one sidewall slot, wherein portions of each of the sidewalls proximate each the vertex forms a sidewall hinge portion. The carton divider can be folded to provide substantially cylindrical cavities.