Collapsible Container With Bendable Support Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trash bags are cumbersome and lack structural support, making them difficult to use without a trash can or other structure, and existing collapsible containers lack stability when loaded vertically or horizontally.
Innovation Solution
A deployable container assembly featuring a foldable support member that can resist axial loads and bend, allowing the container to transition between a deployed position with structural stability and a collapsed position for compact storage, using a support member with a concave cross-sectional shape that unfolds to form a free-standing enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a trash bag is used without a trash can or support structure, then portability and convenience are improved, but the bag becomes cumbersome and difficult to hold open
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed to be dynamic, transitioning between a folded state during storage/transport and an extended state during use. This allows the container to be portable when collapsed and self-supporting when deployed, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and structural support requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The support function is extracted from the traditional trash can and integrated into a separate, collapsible support member. This allows the support structure to be included only when needed, eliminating the need for a permanent trash can while providing structural support during use
2Adaptability or versatility
If a collapsible container with a spiral coil is used, then deployability is improved, but lateral and vertical stability is insufficient when loads are applied
Solution Approach 1:
The support member combines flexible material properties with a specific structural geometry (concave cross-section) to achieve both collapsibility and stability. The composite nature of the support member - being both flexible enough to fold and rigid enough to support loads - resolves the contradiction between adaptability and stability
Solution Approach 2:
The support member features a concave cross-sectional shape with curved surfaces. This curvature provides structural rigidity when extended, allowing the member to resist bending and maintain stability under loads, while still permitting folding when collapsed
3Strength
If the support member is made rigid to provide stability, then structural integrity is improved, but foldability and compact storage are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support member transitions from a static, permanently rigid structure to a dynamic structure that can change its rigidity state. When extended, it provides structural integrity; when folded, it allows for compact storage. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between strength and foldability
Data Source
AI summary
Collapsible containers and associated methods are disclosed herein. Certain aspects of the invention are directed toward a collapsible container assembly that includes a foldable support member that has a length and a width. The support member has a concave cross-section that causes the support member to resist bending until a threshold force is exceeded. The support member has a folded position and an extended position where the support member is unfolded. The assembly further includes at least one surface member carried by the support member. The assembly has a deployed position where the support member is in the extended position and the at least one surface member forms an enclosure with an interior. The assembly also has a collapsed position where the support member is in the folded position. The container assembly has less exterior volume in the collapsed position than in the deployed position.