Child-Resistant Paperboard Container With Slide-Out Tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child-resistant containers fail to balance security, ease of use, sturdiness, and aesthetics, particularly when made from paperboard, as they often compromise on one attribute at the expense of others.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant container assembly comprising an outer sleeve, a slide-out tray, and a pop-up carton, designed with specific apertures and flaps to enhance child-resistance while maintaining ease of use and sturdiness, utilizing paperboard blanks that form a triple thickness at apertures for security and an elongated area for product accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If child-resistant features are added to the container, then product security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into three separate components: an outer sleeve, a slide-out tray, and a pop-up carton. This segmentation allows each component to have specific functions - the outer sleeve provides structural support and child-resistant apertures, the slide-out tray enables controlled access, and the pop-up carton holds the product. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by distributing complexity across separate elements while maintaining overall security.
Solution Approach 2:
The container uses a nested structure where the pop-up carton is placed inside the slide-out tray, which in turn is inserted into the outer sleeve. This nesting arrangement allows the simpler inner components to benefit from the security features of the outer components while maintaining ease of access - children cannot access the inner cartons without first overcoming the child-resistant outer sleeve mechanisms.
2Reliability
If triple thickness is added at apertures for security, then child-resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flaps are combined and folded together to create the triple-thickness portions at the apertures. Instead of creating separate thick components, the invention merges multiple thin paperboard flaps into a single thick structure through folding and adhesive bonding. This resolves the manufacturing complexity issue by using standard paperboard materials and simple folding operations rather than requiring complex thick-material fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the thickness parameter of the paperboard at specific locations (apertures) by folding and layering multiple flaps, while maintaining the original thin gauge for the rest of the container. This localized parameter change provides enhanced child-resistance only where needed (at the apertures) without increasing the complexity or material costs of the entire container structure.
3Ease of operation
If a slide-out tray mechanism is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one with the slide-out tray mechanism. The tray can move between an inserted position (providing security) and a pulled-out position (providing ease of access). This dynamic element resolves the contradiction by allowing the container to adapt its configuration based on whether security or accessibility is the priority, rather than being fixed in one state.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide-out tray acts as an intermediary element between the outer sleeve and the pop-up carton. It provides a middle ground that allows controlled access to the product without requiring the consumer to directly manipulate the child-resistant outer sleeve. The tray serves as a mediator that simplifies the interaction while maintaining the security of the outer components.
Data Source
AI summary
A container assembly includes an outer sleeve, a slide-out tray and a pop-up carton. The first and second sides of the outer sleeve have at least a double thickness adjacent to first and second outer sleeve apertures formed therein. The slide-out tray includes a first side with a minor first side flap folded thereon and a second side with a minor second side flap folded thereon. The slide-out tray is received in the outer sleeve. The pop-up carton is attached to the slide-out tray and located within the slide-out tray in a first position. The slide-out tray initially moves with respect to the outer sleeve by contacting the first and second side flaps via respective first and second outer sleeve apertures and the slide-out tray via a third outer sleeve aperture. The pop-up carton is moved within the slide-out tray to a position extending from the slide-out tray.