Container Denester Hinge Element for Jam-Free Nesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Closely nested containers tend to stick together, causing jamming issues in processing equipment, damage during denesting, and compromising the stability and integrity of the containers, especially in cardboard manufacturing where denesters are difficult to integrate during the pulping process.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a denester made from the side wall material, cut and bent into the interior as a hinge element, which extends along the main surface, providing support and stability during stacking and easy separation without additional material or processing steps, and can be integrated into cardboard or other materials like molded pulp or plastic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If containers are stacked closely together to save volume space, then storage space and transportation costs are minimized, but the containers tend to stick to each other causing jamming in processing equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure is segmented by adding a denester element that divides the internal space. This denester acts as a separating feature between adjacent containers in the stack, preventing them from sticking together while maintaining close nesting for space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The denester serves as an intermediary element between adjacent containers. It is formed by material from one container wall bending into the interior, creating a physical barrier that prevents direct contact and sticking between nested containers, thus eliminating jamming issues.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If denesters are used to separate stacked containers, then jamming is prevented, but the stack becomes non-stable/wobbly
Solution Approach 1:
The denester is positioned at specific locations within the container structure where it provides separation functionality without compromising overall stack stability. The local placement allows the denester to prevent jamming while the rest of the container structure maintains structural integrity and stacking stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If denesters are formed during the pulping process for molded pulp containers, then integration is achieved, but this approach cannot be applied to cardboard containers manufactured from flat material
Solution Approach 1:
The denester design is universal and can be applied to multiple container types including cardboard, molded pulp, and plastic. The same basic principle of forming a hinge element from side wall material that bends into the interior works across different materials and manufacturing processes, providing adaptability and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The denester is formed as part of the container structure during the manufacturing process. For cardboard containers, the hinge element is created by cutting and bending the side wall material before the container is assembled and used, allowing the denester to be integrated into the final product structure.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If denesters are connected to a rim part of the container, then separation function is achieved, but this requires a rim part which is not present in cardboard containers
Solution Approach 1:
The denester is extracted from the traditional rim-based design and repositioned to be formed directly from the side wall material. This eliminates the requirement for a separate rim part while maintaining the separation function, simplifying the overall container structure especially for cardboard containers.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a container, an intermediate product for forming a container, a denester and method of manufacturing. The container and the inter-mediate product for forming the container comprise a first main part defining a top part or a bottom part of the container, and a number of side wall elements defining side surfaces of the top part or said bottom part. At least one of the side wall elements comprises a denester being made from material of the at least one side wall element, where the material is cut from the at least one wall element and bent into the interior of the container.