Rigid Cigarette Pack Filling Element Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rigid cigarette packs with hinged lids face issues due to non-rigid filling elements that fail to maintain the correct position and support the cigarettes, leading to instability and movement within the pack.
Innovation Solution
A cigarette pack design featuring a rigid outer container with a hinged lid and a separate, independent filling element that includes support members and wings to stabilize the inner wrap and cigarettes, ensuring proper alignment and preventing collapse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a non-rigid filling element is used to fill the outer container, then the manufacturing cost is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the stability and rigidity of the cigarette pack is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The filling element is divided into multiple rigid components including side walls, front wall, rear wall, and support members that can be separately manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for rigidity while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular construction
Solution Approach 2:
The filling element combines rigid structural components (side walls, front wall, rear wall) with support members that have specific geometric configurations. This composite structure provides both the rigidity needed for stability and the manufacturability through standardized rigid materials
2Device complexity
If a non-rigid filling element is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the filling element collapses and fails to maintain the correct position of cigarettes
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid filling element is pre-assembled with support members and structural walls in the correct configuration before insertion into the outer container. This preliminary assembly ensures that the structure maintains its shape and provides reliable support from the moment of insertion, preventing cigarette position instability
Solution Approach 2:
The filling element is segmented into distinct functional components (side walls for container engagement, front wall for cigarette support, rear wall for structural completion, and support members for positional maintenance). This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function reliably without requiring complex integrated mechanisms
3Stability of the object's composition
If the filling element is made rigid, then the stability and support for cigarettes is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid filling element is segmented into standardizable components (side walls, front wall, rear wall, support members) that can be manufactured using common rigid materials and assembly methods. This segmentation maintains ease of manufacture while achieving the required rigidity and stability
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid filling element structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: the side walls engage with the outer container, the front wall supports the cigarette group, the rear wall completes the structural framework, and the support members maintain positional stability. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, simplifying manufacture while ensuring stability
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
A pack (1) for smoking articles comprising: an inner wrap (18), which wraps a group (19) of smoking articles; a rigid outer container (2), which is cup-shaped, houses the inner wrap (18), has a larger width than a width of the inner wrap (2); and a filling element (21), which is inserted in the outer container (2) to make up for a width difference between the outer container (2) and the inner wrap (18) and has a wall (22), an upper wall (23) and two side walls (24). The filling element (21) comprises two support members (27), which are in contact with the rear wall (8) of the outer container (2) and consist of a first panel (28) and of a second panel (29), which are hinged to one another along a central folding line (30) defining a comer (31) of the support member (27). The first panel (28) is hinged to the front wall (22), while the second panel (29) is hinged to a corresponding side wall (24).