Expandable Packaging Member Concealing Gift in Open Receptacle

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gift packaging systems with open tops fail to effectively conceal objects and require separate tissue paper, leading to inefficiency and waste, as they often require manual placement and may not provide an attractive appearance.

Innovation Solution

A packaging system featuring expandable members, such as accordion-folded tissue paper or tulle, attached to the interior of a receptacle's top opening, which can be moved from a collapsed to an expanded configuration to obscure the object within while maintaining an open top.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If tissue paper is placed separately within the receptacle to obscure objects, then concealment effectiveness is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconcealment effectivenessVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The tissue paper and receptacle are merged into a single integrated structure. The tissue paper is attached to the interior surface of the receptacle's top opening, forming a unified packaging system that eliminates the need for separate placement operations while maintaining effective concealment of objects within the receptacle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The tissue paper is pre-attached to the receptacle in a compressed state during manufacturing. This preliminary action allows the concealment function to be ready in advance, eliminating the time-consuming step of manually placing tissue paper when the receptacle is in use, while still providing effective object obscuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a large amount of tissue paper is used to ensure concealment, then concealment effectiveness is improved, but material waste increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconcealment effectivenessVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The tissue paper is designed with expandability, transitioning from a compressed state during storage and transport to an expanded state when in use. This dynamic configuration allows a smaller amount of tissue paper to provide sufficient concealment coverage when expanded, reducing material waste while maintaining effective object obscuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The tissue paper is nested within the receptacle in a compressed configuration during storage. When deployed, it expands outward to provide full concealment coverage. This nesting approach allows the same tissue paper to occupy minimal space during storage while providing ample coverage when needed, eliminating the need to use excess material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the receptacle is closed to conceal objects, then concealment effectiveness is improved, but accessibility and ease of operation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconcealment effectivenessVSAvoidaccessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The concealment function is localized to the top opening of the receptacle through the use of tissue paper attached at the interior surface of the opening. This allows the receptacle body to remain open and accessible for inserting and removing objects, while the localized tissue paper provides effective concealment of the contents without requiring closure of the entire receptacle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If separate components (receptacle and tissue paper) are used, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receptacle and tissue paper are merged into a single integrated packaging system with the tissue paper attached to the interior surface of the receptacle's top opening. This integration reduces the number of separate components and assembly steps, simplifying the overall device while maintaining the adaptability to conceal various objects within the receptacle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3184454B1Packaging system
Publication Date: 2018.10.31 ERIN BORGES DESIGNS LLC
  • EP3184454B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3184454B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3184454B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Described herein are packaging systems (100) having a receptacle (102) and one or a plurality of expandable members (104) that are configured to move from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. In some variations the expandable member (104) includes one or a plurality of folded pieces of material, e.g. tissue paper or fabric (e.g. tulle), which are attached to the receptacle (102). In the expanded configuration, the expandable member(s) obscure an object (e.g. a gift) placed within the receptacle without closing the receptacle.