Collapsible Container Hinge Mechanism for Compact Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage containers lack an efficient method to transition from a fully double stacked assembled position to a fully collapsed position, making them difficult to transport and store compactly.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible container design featuring hingedly connected sides and doors that can be rotated and secured in a specific order to transform from a fully assembled position to a flat, parallel orientation, allowing for efficient collapse and reassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If conventional storage containers are used in a fully double stacked assembled position, then storage capacity and structural stability are improved, but transportability and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs dynamic hinge connections between side walls, rear wall, and base that enable the structure to transition from a rigid double-stack configuration to a collapsed flat configuration. The hinges allow controlled folding movements while maintaining structural integrity during both assembled and collapsed states, resolving the contradiction between stability for storage and compactness for transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into separable components (side walls, rear wall, base) connected by hinges, allowing the structure to be segmented and folded independently. This segmentation enables the container to collapse from a double-stack configuration to a flat configuration, improving transportability while maintaining full storage capacity when assembled.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional storage containers are used in a fully double stacked assembled position, then structural stability is improved, but ease of collapse and reassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connections are pre-configured during manufacturing to enable automatic alignment and secure engagement during collapse and reassembly operations. The hinge structure is designed so that when the container is collapsed or assembled, the components naturally align and lock into place without requiring complex alignment procedures, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining structural stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional storage containers are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability for compact storage and transport deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container utilizes flexible hinge joints that can be integrated into the wall structure without requiring separate complex mechanical components. These flexible connections allow the container to adapt between assembled and collapsed configurations while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as the hinges can be formed as integral parts of the wall structure rather than requiring separate assembly steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A hollow container or box formed from a roof, a first side (i.e., or first upper and lower sides), a second side (i.e., for second upper and lower sides), a rear side (i.e., or rear upper and lower sides), a door (i.e., or upper and lower door), and a base placing the container or box in a fully assembled position. Unique side and end access doors are provided. Each of the sides are releasably coupled or hingedly connected to one another and the adjacent sides are hingedly coupled to the base. Upon releasing the sides from one another and rotating each relative to one another in a particular order along various axis rotation, the container or box is transitioned from a fully assembled position into a flat, parallel orientation, fully collapsed position.