Collapsible Lid-Attached Food Container with Living Hinges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food storage containers are bulky, difficult to stack efficiently, and often have separate lids and bases that can be lost or mismatched, leading to clutter and disorganization in kitchen storage.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible, lid-attached food-safe storage container designed with a rectangular planar structure and living hinges, allowing it to be selectively collapsible between an assembled and a collapsed configuration, with detachable latch mechanisms for secure closure and easy opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional storage containers are used with separate lids and bases, then the container can be easily opened and closed, but the lid and base can be lost, misplaced, or mismatched
Solution Approach 1:
The container integrates the lid and base into a single unitary structure where the lid is permanently attached to the base through living hinges. This merging eliminates the problem of separated lids and bases being lost or mismatched, while still allowing the lid to pivot open and closed through the flexible hinge connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The living hinge provides dynamic flexibility allowing the lid to pivot between open and closed positions. The hinge material and design enable repeated bending cycles while maintaining structural integrity, providing ease of operation without permanent attachment that would prevent opening.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional storage containers are used in various sizes and shapes, then storage capacity is optimized, but it is difficult to efficiently store and stack containers leading to clutter
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates collapsible side walls with living hinges that allow the container to transition between expanded storage configuration and collapsed storage configuration. When collapsed, the side walls fold flat against the base, reducing the container's height and volume to enable efficient stacking and reduce kitchen cabinet clutter.
Solution Approach 2:
The container utilizes vertical dimension changes through collapsible side walls that can be folded upward for storage or flattened downward for compact stacking. This dimensional transformation allows the same container to occupy different volumes based on whether it is in use or stored, optimizing space utilization.
3Strength
If conventional storage containers are made bulky for durability, then strength is improved, but substantial storage space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The container uses living hinges made from flexible materials that can be repeatedly bent while maintaining structural strength. The hinge design and material selection allow the container to collapse to a fraction of its expanded volume without compromising the overall durability and integrity of the container structure during use.
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 design reduces storage space requirements, allows for efficient stacking, and ensures that the lid and base remain attached, minimizing clutter and enhancing kitchen organization while maintaining food safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
The second long side of the top panel is integrally connected to the first long side of the rear panel by a first living hinge
Implementation Method 2
the first short side of the rear panel is secured to a third side of the first side panel by a first detachable latch mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible, lid-attached, food-safe storage container includes six panels and is selectively collapsible between an assembled configuration, in which the container is arranged as a rectangular cuboid having a fluid- and/or air-tight hollow interior space delimited by the six panels, and a collapsed configuration, in which the six panels are stacked on top of each other.