Curved Container Carrier with Reconfigurable Divider Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional carriers for holding and displaying containers lack efficient curvature and reconfigurability, leading to suboptimal space utilization and stability, especially when accommodating containers of varying shapes and sizes.
Innovation Solution
A carrier design featuring multiple panels with foldable and curved corner portions and divider flaps that extend from central panels to front and back panels, allowing for flexible formation of curved corners and reconfigurable interior spaces to securely hold multiple containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional carriers use straight panels and rigid structures, then manufacturing is simple, but space utilization is poor and adaptability to varying container shapes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier incorporates curved corner portions and divider flaps that can be folded and reconfigured into different shapes. The curved corners can be adjusted to accommodate various container geometries, and the divider flaps can be positioned to create different compartment layouts, enabling the same carrier structure to adapt to multiple container types and sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier features curved corner portions instead of traditional straight corners. These curved sections allow the carrier to better conform to the rounded shapes of many containers, improving space utilization and providing a more secure fit while maintaining aesthetic appeal and versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional carriers use fixed rigid structures, then structural stability is maintained, but reconfigurability and space utilization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier employs foldable divider flaps and curved corner portions that can be dynamically reconfigured. These elements can be folded into different positions to create various interior layouts, allowing the carrier to adapt to different container arrangements while maintaining structural integrity through proper folding mechanisms and joint designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier structure is divided into multiple panels, curved corner portions, and divider flaps that can independently be configured. This segmentation allows each component to be adjusted separately to optimize the interior space for different container types while the overall structure remains stable through the interconnected panel system.
3Volume of stationary object
If conventional carriers minimize curvature, then manufacturing precision is easier to achieve, but space utilization and container stability are suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier incorporates curved corner portions and curved divider flaps that follow smooth arc profiles. These curved features are designed with standardized radii that can be efficiently fabricated using common manufacturing techniques such as die-cutting and molding, achieving both optimal space utilization and practical manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved features are integrated into foldable and reconfigurable elements that can be assembled from flat blanks through folding and curving operations. This approach allows the curved shapes to be formed using simple bending and folding processes rather than requiring complex curved surface manufacturing, thereby maintaining manufacturing feasibility while achieving superior space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier for holding a plurality of containers includes a plurality of panels at least partially extending around an interior space of the carrier, at least one curved corner, and at least one curved divider flap. The plurality of panels includes a front panel, a back panel, at least one side panel, and at least one bottom panel. The at least one curved divider flap extends from the at least one central panel to one of the front panel and the back panel in the interior space of the carrier.