Cigarette Box Pocket for Portable Ash Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cigarette boxes are cumbersome and inconvenient for smokers as they require carrying a separate portable ash container, which can be unhygienic and takes up additional space, especially in non-smoking environments.
Innovation Solution
A hinged-lid cigarette box design with a pocket for a sheet-like article, such as a portable ash container, that allows easy carrying without increasing the box size, featuring a concave rear wall and a cove-shaped pocket mouth for easy access and odor containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a portable ash container is kept within the cigarette box, then the smoker does not need to carry a separate ash container, but the cigarette box size must be enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The pocket is nested within the rear wall structure of the cigarette box, allowing the ash container to be carried within the existing box volume without enlargement. The pocket integrates into the box body's rear wall, creating a nested configuration that accommodates the ash container without increasing overall dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pocket utilizes the rear wall dimension of the cigarette box, extending into the depth of the box rather than increasing external dimensions. By utilizing the unused rear wall space and creating a pocket that extends inward, the design accommodates the ash container within the existing volumetric envelope.
2Ease of operation
If a used portable ash container is put back into the cigarette box, then the ash container can be carried conveniently, but the offensive smell from the used container affects the cigarettes
Solution Approach 1:
The cigarette box is segmented into distinct functional zones: the main compartment for cigarettes and the separate pocket for the ash container. This spatial segmentation isolates the harmful odor from the cigarettes, allowing the ash container to be stored without contaminating the cigarette storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The ash container storage function is extracted from the main cigarette storage space and placed in a separate pocket structure. This extraction allows the ash container to be carried without directly contacting or contaminating the cigarettes, as the pocket provides a separate containment space.
3Quantity of substance
If a sheet-like article is inserted into the pocket, then the pocket space is utilized, but the outward bulge of the annex wall increases
Solution Approach 1:
The concave structure is applied locally to the rear wall at the specific location where the pocket receives the sheet-like article. This localized modification creates a recessed area that accommodates the article without causing outward bulging, maintaining the overall flat appearance of the cigarette box rear face.
Solution Approach 2:
The concave structure introduces a curved recessed area in the rear wall to accommodate the sheet-like article. This curved geometry allows the article to be contained while maintaining a smooth, flat external surface appearance, preventing outward bulges that would interfere with vending machine dispensing.
4Productivity
If the cigarette box is dispensed from vending machine, then the box is distributed to consumers, but the box may get stuck due to outward bulge
Solution Approach 1:
The concave structure nests within the rear wall, creating a recessed area that accommodates the sheet-like article without protruding outward. This nested configuration ensures the external surface remains flat and smooth, allowing the vending machine to grip and dispense the box without interference from bulges.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A cigarette box has a box body (2), a lid (4) that opens/closes the box body (2), an outer wall (10) superposed on a rear wall of the box body (2) and forms a pocket (P) in cooperation with the rear wall, and a sheet-like pouch (6) removably contained in the pocket (P), the pouch (6) being used as a portable ash container.