Collapsible Container Strut Spacing Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible freight containers face safety risks during erection, structural integrity issues, maintenance challenges, and increased weight due to folding mechanisms, which affect their efficiency and compliance with international standards.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible container design featuring hingedly connected side panels with struts that maintain a spaced relationship between panels, allowing for erect configuration without touching top or bottom panels, and end panels that slide or roll into position, eliminating the need for folding mechanisms and ensuring structural integrity and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If side panels fold along top edge, bottom edge, and centre with hinges, then container can be collapsed to reduce storage space, but structural integrity is reduced and water leaks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into collapsible side panels and rigid end panels. The side panels are segmented to fold along top and bottom edges only (not centre), creating separate folding sections that maintain structural strength while enabling compact collapse for reduced storage volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism is extracted from critical structural locations (centre of panels) and relocated to non-critical edges (top and bottom only). This removes the weakness created by centre hinges while preserving the collapsing function, thereby maintaining water tightness and structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If end panels are pivoted up from flat position on bottom panel, then container structure locks into place, but safety risk increases due to person entering container during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The end panels are pre-positioned in a vertical orientation rather than requiring pivoting from a flat position during operation. Forklift prongs insert into pockets to directly erect the side panels while end panels remain in place, eliminating the need for personnel to enter the container during the erection process and thereby preventing safety accidents.
Solution Approach 2:
Forklift prongs act as an intermediary mechanism to erect the container structure. The prongs insert into fork lift pockets in the bottom panel and lift the side panels into vertical position, replacing the dangerous manual pivoting operation with a remote, automated lifting action that ensures operator safety.
3Adaptability or versatility
If folding mechanisms with hinges are used, then container can collapse, but maintenance requirements increase due to oiling and rust prevention
Solution Approach 1:
Hinges are extracted from the centre of side panels and relocated only to top and bottom edges. This reduction in hinge quantity and strategic placement minimizes the maintenance burden while preserving the collapsing function. Fewer hinges mean fewer points requiring oiling and rust prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing hinges at multiple locations including centre (conventional approach), the design inverts the strategy by placing hinges only at top and bottom edges. This unconventional arrangement reduces maintenance requirements while achieving the same collapsing adaptability.
4Volume of moving object
If side walls are hingedly connected along one longitudinal edge with rollers in grooves, then container is more compact, but dirt and stones enter grooves preventing roller function
Solution Approach 1:
The roller mechanism and grooves are extracted from the floor surface and replaced with forklift pockets in the bottom panel. Side panels connect via hinges at top and bottom edges only, eliminating grooves that would trap dirt and stones. This maintains compactness while ensuring reliable hinge operation by removing vulnerable roller components.
Solution Approach 2:
The design replaces complex, vulnerable roller mechanisms with simpler hinged connections that are more resistant to contamination. The hinged side panels achieve compact folding without relying on rollers that can be blocked by debris, providing a more reliable and maintenance-free solution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances safety, maintains structural integrity, reduces weight, and improves maintenance efficiency, allowing for efficient stacking and transportation while meeting international standards, thus reducing costs and resource wastage.
Implementation Method 1
one end of the strut being pivotally connected at an intermediate point along the end edge of said first panel, the other end of the strut being pivotally connected to the bottom panel
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~2a
Figure 2b~2c
AI summary
A collapsible container wherein the left side panel is hingedly connected to the top panel and includes at least one strut, one end of the strut being pivotally connected at an intermediate point along the end edge of the left panel, the other end of the strut being pivotally connected to the bottom panel; the right side panel being hingedly connected to the bottom panel and includes at least one strut, one end of the strut being pivotally connected at an intermediate point along the end edge of the side panel, the other end of the strut being pivotally connected to the top panel, such that the container is moveable between a collapsed configuration and an erect configuration, wherein the struts maintain a spaced apart relationship between the edges of the hingedly connected panels and the respective top or bottom panel during such movement.