Reusable Container Wall Reinforcement for Transverse Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reusable containers with plastic walls, while stable vertically, are prone to denting or buckling under horizontal loads due to external leaning or bulging materials, lacking sufficient transverse rigidity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a horizontal slot in the wall with a U- or H-shaped reinforcement strip that can be easily inserted and removed, providing enhanced flexural rigidity and stability by distributing loads across both sides of the wall, optionally with additional features like hooks for hanging elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a plastic wall element is used for the container, then the container achieves low weight and high vertical strength, but the wall lacks sufficient transverse rigidity and is prone to denting or buckling under horizontal loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines plastic wall material with metal reinforcement strips to create a composite structure. The metal strips are inserted into grooves within the plastic wall, creating a hybrid construction that leverages the high vertical strength and light weight of plastic while adding the transverse rigidity and dent resistance of metal, directly resolving the contradiction between vertical strength and transverse rigidity
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than making the entire wall thicker or more rigid throughout, the patent applies reinforcement strips locally at specific positions where horizontal loads are most likely to occur. This allows the wall to maintain its original lightweight plastic construction in areas where vertical strength is sufficient, while adding metal reinforcement only where transverse rigidity is needed to prevent denting and buckling
2Stability of the object's composition
If reinforcement strips are inserted into grooves in the wall, then the wall gains high transverse rigidity and stability, but the device complexity increases due to additional components and assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement system is segmented into discrete strips that can be independently inserted into grooves along the wall. Each groove is pre-formed at specific locations, and reinforcement strips are inserted separately rather than as a single complex component. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing and assembly while achieving the desired transverse rigidity through distributed reinforcement points
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are integrated directly into the plastic wall molding process, creating self-contained receptacles for the reinforcement strips. The plastic wall itself provides the mounting structure for the reinforcement, eliminating the need for separate attachment mechanisms or additional fastening components. The reinforcement strips simply slot into the pre-formed grooves, allowing the structure to reinforce itself without external intervention
3Stability of the object's composition
If metal reinforcement strips are used, then the wall achieves enhanced stability and dent resistance, but the recyclability of the plastic wall is compromised due to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement strips are designed to be removable from the plastic wall by pulling them out of the grooves. This extraction capability allows the metal reinforcement to be separated from the plastic component for proper recycling processing. The grooves are designed to hold the reinforcement during use but allow for straightforward removal when recycling is needed, resolving the contradiction between enhanced stability and recyclability
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
In a reusable container (1) with a base (2) and an annular, foldable wall element (4) which forms several walls (5) of the reusable container (1), the invention proposes that a wall (5) has a horizontally extending slot (7) through the wall (5), at which two opposite banks (8, 9) of this wall (5) adjoin, wherein a reinforcing strip (6) is arranged extending in the slot (7), which has a cross-section with a U-shaped enclosing section (10) and with this enclosing section (10) encompasses a bank (8, 9) of the wall (5) adjoining the slot (7).