Collapsible Trash Can with Insertion Channel and Snap Fit Retainers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional trash cans have a large volume relative to their weight, making shipping and storage cumbersome, necessitating the development of collapsible designs for efficient storage and deployment.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible trash can design featuring a hollow rectangular upper frame, vertically oriented side panels, and a base with an insertion channel system, utilizing snap fit retainers and panel retainer clips to transition between stowed and deployed modes, allowing for compact storage and easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional trash cans are used, then they provide adequate storage capacity, but they occupy large volume making shipping and storage cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The trash can is divided into multiple detachable components including side panels, a base, and an upper frame. These segments can be separated for compact storage and reassembled for use, reducing the volume occupied during shipping and storage while maintaining full functionality when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The trash can design incorporates collapsible side panels that can transition between expanded and collapsed states. The panels include compression members that allow the structure to be compressed into a compact configuration for storage, then expanded back to full size when needed
2Volume of moving object
If collapsible design is implemented, then packing volume is reduced, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trash can is divided into multiple detachable components including side panels, a base, and an upper frame. These segments can be separated for compact storage and reassembled for use, reducing the volume occupied during shipping and storage while maintaining full functionality when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible side panels are designed to nest within each other when collapsed, with the panels fitting inside one another in a nested configuration. This nesting arrangement minimizes the space required for storage while simplifying the overall structure compared to alternative collapsible mechanisms
Data Source
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AI summary
A trashcan has collapsible storage in a storage mode, and also has a deployed mode. The trashcan has a base with an insertion channel. Panels include a front side panel, a rear side panel, a right side panel, and a left side panel. The front side panel and the rear side panel have a curved structure and each have a pair of engaging rails. The right side panel and the left side panel each have a pair of engaging rails. The front side panel has a front side panel first engaging rail and a front side panel second engaging rail. The rear side panel has a rear side panel first engaging rail and a rear side panel second engaging rail.