Crate Venting Path and Convex Walls for Fruit Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crates for transporting fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, face issues with uneven air circulation, damage from sharp edges, limited access for inspection, and product damage during stacking due to inadequate design.
Innovation Solution
The crate features a venting path for uniform airflow, foldable side and end walls with convex inner surfaces for product protection, a thinned portion for easy access, and an arch-shaped bottom to prevent product damage during stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If crates are arranged in a five-down configuration for stacking, then space utilization is improved, but air circulation between adjacent crates becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing specific venting path configurations at critical locations where crates meet in the five-down stacking arrangement. Venting paths are strategically positioned at adjacent sides and end walls to ensure localized air circulation improvement at the interfaces between crates, while maintaining the overall stacking configuration.
2Ease of manufacture
If side walls have straight inner surfaces for structural simplicity, then manufacturing is easier, but products with rounded surfaces are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by curving the inner surfaces of the side walls from straight to curved configurations. This curvature modification eliminates sharp edges and corners that cause damage to products with rounded surfaces, while the overall side wall structure remains simple and manufacturable.
3Productivity
If crates are stacked tightly for efficient space use, then stacking efficiency is improved, but access to interior crates for inspection becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by providing removable or openable wall sections in the crate structure. These segmented portions allow inspectors to access the interior of stacked crates without disrupting the overall stacking configuration, enabling quality control while maintaining stacking efficiency.
4Weight of moving object
If crates are designed with minimal wall thickness for weight reduction, then transportation cost is reduced, but structural strength during stacking is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by using materials with high strength-to-weight ratio for crate construction. This allows the walls to be thin and lightweight for reduced transportation costs, while still maintaining sufficient structural strength to bear stacking loads and protect contents.
Data Source
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AI summary
A crate (100) comprises a bottom (110) and two respective pairwise opposing side walls (120) and end walls (130), each side wall (120) comprising a plurality of vent holes in a region (A) extending along a horizontal direction (101) of the side wall (120), and each end wall (130) comprising a grip hole (135), wherein the region (A) is a distance (dA) away from a comer (505) of the crate (100), the distance (dA) being equal to the distance (dGH) the grip hole (135) is away from the same comer (505) of the crate (100), and wherein a height (hA) of the region (A) is equal to the height (hGH) of the grip hole (135).