Collapsible Packing Box With Retractable Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packing boxes occupy excessive storage space when not in use and are difficult to transport due to their accommodation space, and they can be easily damaged when stacked.
Innovation Solution
A packing box design featuring a base surface and side surfaces with folding marks, allowing the box to be folded into a flat, nearly parallel structure for easy storage and transportation, with unparallel and parallel wall surfaces that can be folded to retract or reveal accommodation spaces, and third wall surfaces that fold inward to stabilize the structure without the need for adhesives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the packing box maintains its 3D accommodation space structure, then it provides protection and support for articles, but it occupies excessive storage space and is difficult to transport when empty
Solution Approach 1:
The packing box employs dynamic wall surfaces that can transition between extended (providing accommodation space) and folded (reducing volume) states. The side surfaces and base surface are connected through folding marks, allowing the structure to dynamically adjust its volume based on whether articles are present, thus resolving the contradiction between storage space occupation and protection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The wall surfaces are designed to fold inward and nest within the base surface structure when not in use. The unparallel wall surfaces can be folded along second folding marks to retract into the base surface, creating a compact nested configuration that minimizes storage volume while maintaining the ability to expand into a protective 3D structure when needed
2Productivity
If empty packing boxes are heavily stacked for efficient transportation, then space utilization improves, but the packing boxes are easily damaged due to lack of structural support
Solution Approach 1:
The packing box design changes the structural parameters by using unparallel wall surfaces that can be folded along second folding marks. When stacked, these walls fold inward to create a flatter profile that distributes weight more evenly across the base surface, increasing the effective stacking strength and allowing heavier stacking without damage, thus improving transportation efficiency while maintaining structural integrity
3Stability of the object's composition
If the packing box uses traditional rigid structure with adhesives, then structural stability is ensured, but manufacturing complexity and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The packing box employs self-service through friction-based interlocking of wall surfaces with the base surface. The unparallel wall surfaces, when folded along second folding marks, create frictional contact that automatically stabilizes the structure without requiring adhesives or complex assembly mechanisms. This reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural stability through the inherent friction properties of the materials
Solution Approach 2:
The packing box is segmented into modular components (base surface, side surfaces, wall surfaces) connected by folding marks rather than permanent bonds. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured and assembled through simple folding actions, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while the interlocking frictional connections ensure structural stability during use
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a packing box and a method of using the same, comprising a base surface, side surfaces and receiving compartments; wherein the side surfaces and the base surface form first set of folding marks used to fold along the first folding marks and form a space for the packing box; a plurality of holes are opened on the base surface, and the receiving compartments are fixed on the base surface, with the holes used as openings thereof; each receiving compartment is surrounded by a plurality of wall surfaces, the wall surfaces unparallel to the base surface when the receiving compartments are expanded are defined as unparallel wall surfaces, the other wall surfaces are parallel wall surfaces, and a plurality of second folding marks are formed on the unparallel wall surfaces to be used to fold and expand the corresponding wall surfaces; wherein, when the unparallel wall surfaces are folded, the internal cavities of the receiving compartments disappear and the receiving compartments are retracted, and when the unparallel wall surfaces are expanded, the receiving compartments are expanded. The proposal of the invention has advantages that the space occupied by the packing box can be reduced during transportation and storage, the packing box can be formed conveniently and quickly, and the final packing box structure is stable and reliable.