Collapsible Container With Integral Coupling Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers with eight sides cannot be efficiently knocked down and re-erected without additional adhesive or tape, as their bottom panels either extend outward or require breaking bonds, leading to increased storage space and susceptibility to damage.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a blank with integral coupling tabs that direct bottom panels to fold inward when collapsing and outward when erecting, allowing for automatic locking without additional adhesive, using a sheet material with specific fold lines and panel configurations to form a stackable, collapsible structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the container is designed with bottom panels that extend outward when collapsed (as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,437), then the container structure is simpler, but the storage area increases and the container becomes more susceptible to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom panels are designed to nest within the side walls when the container is collapsed, similar to how nested dolls fit inside each other. This allows the bottom panels to be received within the side walls in the knocked-down position, reducing the overall storage area and protecting the panels from damage while maintaining structural simplicity
2Reliability
If the container requires additional adhesive or tape to re-erect after collapsing, then the bottom panels can be securely repositioned, but the operation becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed to automatically lock its bottom panels into place during the re-erection process without requiring external adhesive or tape. The coupling tabs and slots work together to self-secure the bottom panels as the container is opened from its collapsed state, making the operation simpler and faster while maintaining reliable panel connections
3Ease of manufacture
If the container uses a conventional four-sided design, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the compression strength and stacking capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into eight side walls instead of four, creating additional structural segments that provide enhanced compression strength and stacking capability. The eight-sided configuration includes alternating major and minor side walls with corresponding bottom panels, distributing structural loads more effectively while remaining manufacturable using standard processes
Data Source
AI summary
A blank of sheet material for forming a container including automatically locking bottom panels is provided. The blank includes a pair of end panels, a pair of side panels and at least one corner panel that are interconnected. The corner panel extends between an adjacent end panel and side panel. The blank includes bottom end panels extending from the end panels and bottom side panels extending from the side panels. A first coupling tab is integral with a bottom end panel, and a second coupling tab is integral with a bottom side panel. The first coupling tab attaches to a bottom side panel, and the second coupling tab attaches to a bottom end panel. The coupling tabs upwardly direct the bottom panels when the container is moved to a flat position and downwardly direct the bottom panels when the container is moved from the flat position to an erected position.