Container Carrier Aperture Layout for Tear-Resistant Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional container carriers face issues such as neck down failure, inadequate tension, stress risers from notches or scratches, and reduced engagement due to the use of post-consumer recycled materials, leading to package failure and dislodged containers.
Innovation Solution
A container carrier design featuring outer and inner bands with convex engaging portions, central grasping apertures, and stress relief cutouts to ensure firm engagement and even stress distribution, using a polymeric sheet with PCR material for enhanced strength and recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the carrier is stretched more during application to improve engagement, then the container engaging portion develops sufficient tension, but the carrier may stretch beyond its yield strength and not adequately recover (neck down)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the geometric parameters of the container engaging portion, specifically creating an elongated aperture shape with specific dimensional ratios. This geometric parameter modification allows the carrier to achieve adequate tension engagement without excessive stretching that would cause neck down failure, thereby resolving the contradiction between engagement strength and recovery reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If the aperture is made larger to accommodate more containers, then the carrier can hold more containers, but the container engaging portion does not develop enough tension to adequately engage the container
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carrier structure by introducing multiple container engaging portions distributed across the carrier, each with its own elongated aperture. This segmentation allows the carrier to accommodate multiple containers while maintaining adequate tension engagement at each individual aperture, resolving the contradiction between quantity and engagement strength.
3Strength
If notches or scratches are present in the carrier to improve engagement, then the carrier can grip containers better, but these notches or scratches create stress risers that propagate into larger tears
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the container engaging portion by creating an elongated aperture shape with specific dimensional ratios. This parameter modification provides adequate grip engagement through the elongated shape itself, eliminating the need for notches or scratches that would create stress risers, thereby resolving the contradiction between grip strength and tear resistance.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If post-consumer recycled material is used to reduce environmental burden, then the environmental burden is reduced, but the ability of the carrier to recover after application is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the geometric parameters of the container engaging portion, specifically creating an elongated aperture shape with optimized dimensional ratios. This geometric optimization compensates for the reduced material recovery properties of PCR materials, allowing the carrier to achieve adequate engagement and recovery despite using recycled materials, thus resolving the contradiction between environmental benefits and recovery reliability.
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 maintains package integrity by isolating containers during lifting, ensuring all containers are retained, with improved strength and resistance to tearing, despite the use of PCR materials.
Implementation Method 1
Flexible carriers are applied to containers by stretching the carrier around the diameter of the container, and allowing the stretched carrier to recover, providing a tight fit.
Data Source
AI summary
A container carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers including a plurality of outer bands and inner bands forming an array of container receiving apertures arranged in two or more transverse pairs. Each outer band of the plurality of outer bands forms a convex container engaging portion of each container receiving aperture. A central grasping aperture is positioned between each transverse pair of container receiving apertures and includes opposite radiused ends and a central expanded opening. A stress relief cutout is positioned along each inner band between each container receiving aperture and each central grasping aperture.