Knock-down Crate with Base Recess for Wall Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knock-down crates that disassemble or fold suffer from inefficient space use when empty, as they require increased labor for handling and storage due to separate elements, and are less convenient for compact transportation.
Innovation Solution
A knock-down crate design where the walls can be stored in a recess within the base, allowing for compact and convenient handling when unloaded, featuring interchangeable sides and a base with an elongated recess for containing the sides, enabling efficient stacking and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional knock-down crates disassemble into separate elements, then transport volume efficiency is improved, but handling convenience and labor requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls are designed to nest within the base when not in use, creating a compact configuration where the walls fit inside a recess in the base. This nesting approach maintains volume efficiency while keeping the components integrated enough for easy handling as a single unit rather than separate elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The crate is divided into modular components (base and side walls) that can be detached and reattached. This segmentation allows the crate to be collapsed for efficient transport while maintaining the ability to assemble it quickly and easily at the destination, resolving the contradiction between compactness and handling convenience.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional knock-down crates fold with elements remaining interconnected, then structure integrity is maintained, but space efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls fold into and nest within the base, creating a compact nested configuration that significantly reduces the volume required for storage and transport. This nested structure maintains integrity during use while achieving high space efficiency when collapsed, unlike traditional folding crates that remain bulky.
3Strength
If molded polymer crates are made as a single piece, then strength is maximized, but transport volume efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The crate is segmented into separate base and side wall components that can be detached and stored compactly. This segmentation allows the crate to achieve the strength of a single-piece molded structure when assembled, while enabling dramatic volume reduction when collapsed for return transport, solving the contradiction between strength and space efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A knock-down crate has a base and four sides detachably engageable with the base for deployment parallel to the length and breadth of the base. The upper surface of the base has an elongated recess extending most of the length and sized for receiving the sides. The sides can be engaged with the base to form a four-sided crate with the recess of the base contributing to the available volume of the crate. When not in use, the sides are received within the recess in the base for compact transportation.