Carton Keel Structure for Material Reduction and Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carton designs face challenges in minimizing material usage while ensuring strength and security for transporting large weights of articles, with a need for innovative structures that reduce wastage and enhance the stability of packaged contents.
Innovation Solution
A carton design featuring a composite wall with a keel structure formed from overlapping layers, where the inner and outer members are hingedly connected along fold lines, providing a spacer between articles and interlocking the layers to enhance stability and security during transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If cartons are formed from as little material as possible, then material usage and wastage are reduced, but the strength and ability to hold large weights deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite wall structure formed from two at least partially overlapping layers (inner layer and outer layer) that work together to provide enhanced strength. The keel structure itself is composite, with an inner member from the inner layer and an outer member from the outer layer, creating a multi-layer composite structure that maximizes strength while minimizing material usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The keel structure is divided into separate inner and outer members that are hingedly connected, allowing each member to be optimized independently for strength and material efficiency. This segmentation enables the structure to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio by distributing material strategically where needed.
2Strength
If the keel structure is formed from overlapping layers with hinged connections, then the strength and security of the carton is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the keel structure with the composite wall layers themselves, rather than adding a separate keel component. The inner member is formed from the inner layer and the outer member from the outer layer, integrating the reinforcement structure into the wall construction and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinged connection allows the inner member to be automatically folded into the interior of the carrier when the outer member is folded, with the outer member's free outline providing a folding guide. This self-folding mechanism eliminates the need for complex assembly tools or procedures.
3Reliability
If the keel structure provides a spacer between articles, then the security and stability of packaged contents is improved, but the volume of the carrier increases
Solution Approach 1:
The keel structure is formed from thin paperboard layers that fold into the interior space, providing rigid spacing and support structures without requiring thick materials. The hinged folding mechanism allows thin material to create three-dimensional spacing elements that secure articles while minimizing volume consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to a carrier (90) for packaging a plurality of flanged articles, a blank (10) for forming the carrier. The carrier comprises a composite wall formed from two at least partially overlapping layers (12,20), including an inner layer (20) and an outer layer (12). The carrier further comprises a keel structure (70) folded into an interior of the carrier. The keel structure has an inner member (60) formed from the inner layer and an outer member (50) formed from the outer layer. The inner and outer members are hingedly connected to a respective one of the inner and outer layers along inner (61) and outer (51) fold lines respectively. The inner and outer fold lines are generally aligned in the direction of the thickness of the inner and outer layers.