Egg Container Shock Absorbing Ring and Segmented Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Egg containers with domed bottoms can cause eggs to bounce and collide during packaging, leading to damage, as the domed design does not effectively absorb shocks and prevent contact between adjacent eggs.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a base portion with multiple item receiving cavities, a hinged cover portion, and a hollow ring projecting upwardly from the cavity bottom to absorb shock and reduce bouncing, along with a horizontal shoulder separating adjacent cavities to prevent egg contact, all made from thermoformed polymer materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a domed bottom is used in egg containers, then shock absorption is improved, but egg bouncing and collision between adjacent eggs occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The base is divided into separate cavity structures with horizontal shoulders that segment the egg-receiving spaces. These segmented cavities prevent eggs from bouncing into adjacent spaces while maintaining individual shock absorption zones for each egg.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom surface features localized shock-absorbing domes positioned within each cavity, while the horizontal shoulders provide localized separation barriers. This local quality differentiation allows shock absorption without causing egg collision.
2Quantity of substance
If adjacent item receiving cavities are placed close together, then container capacity is improved, but egg contact during packaging increases
Solution Approach 1:
Horizontal shoulders segment the container into distinct cavity zones, creating physical barriers between adjacent eggs. This segmentation allows cavities to be positioned close together for maximum capacity while preventing egg contact during packaging operations.
3Reliability
If a hinged cover is added to hold eggs captive, then egg protection during transport is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover portion is merged with the base through a hinge connection, creating an integrated container structure. This combining approach provides egg protection during transport while avoiding the complexity of separate locking mechanisms or additional components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The container effectively reduces egg bouncing and collision risk during packaging by using a shock-absorbing ring and separator walls, ensuring safer transportation and storage of eggs.
Implementation Method 1
a hollow ring projecting upwardly from a bottom surface of at least one of the item receiving cavities to define an annular contact surface for an item received in the item receiving cavity
Data Source
AI summary
Container includes a base portion having a plurality of item receiving cavities for supporting frangible items, at least one cover portion having at least one item covering concavity for covering the frangible items, a first hinge between a first longitudinal edge of the base portion and the cover portion for rotating the cover portion onto the base portion to hold the frangible items captive in the item receiving cavities, and a hollow ring projecting upwardly from a bottom surface of at least one of the item receiving cavities to define an annular contact surface for an item received in the item receiving cavity.