Stackable Crate With Channels And Ribs For Nesting Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing stackable milk crates struggle to maintain stability when containing non-uniform materials, leading to potential tipping and spillage, and they occupy excessive storage space when not filled.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates complementary structures, including exterior channels and interior ribs, which allow the crates to nest compactly when empty and stack stably when filled, even with non-uniform materials, by adjusting the length of the interior ribs received by the exterior channels based on the position (nested or stacked).

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional stackable milk crates are used with non-uniform material, then the crates can contain various materials, but the crates lean or tip over and spill contents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to contain various materialsVSAvoidstack stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring complementary structures (exterior channels and interior ribs) on the crates before use. These structures are designed in advance to interlock in specific ways that prevent tipping, allowing the crates to adapt to non-uniform materials while maintaining stack stability through predetermined geometric constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Duration of action of stationary object

If traditional stackable milk crates are stacked, then they can be stored vertically, but they occupy excessive storage space when empty

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capabilityVSAvoidstorage space occupied

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the nesting principle by designing the crate geometry so that one crate can be placed inside another when empty. The complementary structures (exterior channels and interior ribs) enable this nested configuration, allowing multiple empty crates to be stored compactly in a fraction of the space required for traditional stacked storage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS12319470B2Stackable crate

Publication Date: 2025.06.03 CREATIVE PLASTIC CONCEPTS LLC

AI summary

A stackable crate has a horizontally oriented bottom panel and four vertically oriented side panels that are separately attached at their edges to form the stackable crate. Two straight-line channels, with widths at their tops being greater than at their bottoms, form ribs within the crate. When the channels and ribs of a first crate are aligned with the channels of a second stackable crate, the first crate nests within the second crate even when non-uniform material in the second crate is stored within it, without spilling the material or toppling the stack. When the channels and ribs of the first crate are not aligned with the channels of the second crate, the first crate does not nest within the second crate but instead rests on the tops of the ribs of the first crate.