Collapsible Crate With Hinged Door For Direct Customer Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for transporting grocery items like egg cartons to stores require labor-intensive unloading and re-shelving, increasing handling costs and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible container design featuring a base with pivotably connected walls, a front wall with a hinged door, and latches that allow the container to be easily collapsed and expanded, enabling direct customer access to items without the need for unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If metal crates are used to transport grocery items to stores, then the items can be securely transported, but labor is required for unloading and re-shelving
Solution Approach 1:
The crate incorporates collapsible walls with hinge joints that allow the structure to dynamically change between an expanded transport configuration and a collapsed storage configuration. This dynamic transformation eliminates the need for manual unloading and re-shelving operations
Solution Approach 2:
The crate design enables the container to automatically transition between states through its mechanical hinge and latch system, allowing the structure to serve its own transformation needs without external intervention for unloading operations
2Strength
If the container walls are made rigid for structural strength, then the container maintains its shape during transport, but it cannot be collapsed for compact storage
Solution Approach 1:
The container walls are divided into multiple rigid panels connected by hinge joints, allowing each panel to maintain its structural strength while the segmented structure as a whole can collapse through relative movement of the panels
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge joints and latch mechanisms transform the rigid wall structure into a dynamically adaptable system that can switch between maintaining rigid form during transport and collapsing for compact storage
3Ease of operation
If a door mechanism is added to allow customer access, then customers can select items directly from the container, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door mechanism is integrated with the existing collapsible wall structure and latch system, allowing the same mechanical components to serve both the collapsing function and the door access function, thereby avoiding additional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The door assembly is merged with the front wall structure, where the door panel becomes part of the collapsible wall system, and the latch mechanism serves both to secure the door and to enable wall collapse
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 collapsible container reduces labor costs and enhances efficiency by allowing customers to select items directly from the container, minimizing handling and streamlining the shopping experience.
Implementation Method 1
The latches may each include at least one resilient leg biasing an interlocking portion toward one of the upstanding members
Implementation Method 2
a base and a pair of opposed first walls pivotably connected to opposed first edges of the base
Data Source
AI summary
The collapsible container includes a base and a pair of opposed first walls pivotably connected to opposed first edges of the base. A second wall or front wall is pivotably connected to a second edge of the base such that the second wall is perpendicular to the first walls. The front wall includes a frame including a pair of elongated vertical upstanding members each including a recess opening outward of the container. The front wall further includes a door pivotably connected to the upstanding members. The door includes an upper panel portion having a pair of wing portions projecting away from one another and receivable in the recesses in the upstanding members.