Collapsible Bulk Bin With Interlocking Floor Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional collapsible bulk bins face issues with durability and space efficiency due to material degradation in damp conditions and the elastic memory of corrugated plastic, which limits their useful life and makes them difficult to pack away flat.
Innovation Solution
A selectively collapsible bulk bin design featuring a perimeter wall with fold joints and interlocking floor panels that can be easily folded between a stowed and deployed configuration, using plastic cellular material for strength and durability, allowing for repeated use without significant damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional collapsible bulk bins are made from corrugated plastic, then the bin can be folded for storage, but the elastic memory of the material makes it difficult to pack away flat and limits useful life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from elastic corrugated plastic to rigid thermoplastic, and changes the structural parameter from thick walls to thin walls with internal support. This allows the bin to fold flat for storage while maintaining structural integrity and extending useful life through repeated use cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The bin is divided into multiple wall panels that can be folded relative to each other at fold lines. The floor is segmented into multiple panels that can be folded and stored within the bin cavity. This segmentation enables compact flat storage while maintaining strength when deployed.
2Ease of operation
If conventional collapsible bulk bins are made from paper, then the bin can be folded for storage, but the material degrades in damp conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thermoplastic material that combines the foldability needed for storage with resistance to damp conditions. The material is formed into a composite structure with internal support elements that provide strength while allowing the outer walls to be thin and foldable.
3Strength
If injection molded bulk bins are used, then the bin is stronger, but the bin is not typically collapsible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static rigid structure into a dynamic structure with movable fold lines. The wall panels and floor panels can change configuration between deployed and folded states. The rigid thermoplastic material maintains strength when deployed while allowing controlled folding at designated lines for storage.
4Ease of operation
If conventional collapsible bins are repeatedly collapsed and redeployed, then the bin can be stored when not in use, but the material is damaged and useful life is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from elastic corrugated plastic to rigid thermoplastic, which resists damage from repeated folding. The structural parameter is changed from thick non-foldable walls to thin walls with internal support that can fold without damage. This allows many cycles of collapse and deployment while maintaining useful life.
Data Source
AI summary
A bulk bin has a perimeter wall and first and second floor panels hingedly joined to the perimeter wall. Each floor panel is selectively foldable from a stowed position to a deployed position. In some embodiments, the first floor panel has a first tab and a first hole and the second floor panel has a second tab and a second hole. The first tab is configured for being selectively received in the second hole for interlocking engagement with the second floor panel, and the second tab is configured for being selectively received in the first hole for interlocking engagement with the first floor panel to secure the first and second floor panels in the deployed position. In certain embodiments, the perimeter wall includes multiple wall portions foldably joined together. At least two of the wall portions are joined at a fold joint of at least three spaced apart vertical creases.