Nestable Fiber Pulp Bottle Tray with Interference Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shipping containers for glass bottles fail to adequately protect bottles during transportation, often resulting in breakage due to inadequate support and vulnerability to drops and vibrations, and are either expensive, difficult to assemble, or require excessive storage space.
Innovation Solution
A two-part shipping container made from paper or fiber pulp that engages the bottom and shoulder of the bottle, providing enhanced support and protection, is nestable for efficient storage, and requires no assembly, featuring hollow, tapered trays with unique receptacles that create an interference fit to securely hold bottles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional molded foam cradles are used to protect bottles during shipping, then bottle protection is improved, but storage space efficiency deteriorates because the containers cannot be nested
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by designing the foam cradle with a hollow interior cavity that allows one cradle to be placed inside another. The first cradle has a hollow interior cavity receiving the bottle, and a second cradle can be nested within the first cradle's cavity when not in use. This nesting capability dramatically reduces storage space requirements while maintaining the protective function during shipping.
2Ease of manufacture
If three-dimensional cardboard assemblies are used for shipping containers, then cost is reduced, but assembly time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the foam material into the final cradle shape with all structural features already in place during manufacturing. The molded foam cradle is produced as a complete, ready-to-use unit with pre-formed bottle-receiving cavity and nesting features, eliminating the need for on-site assembly of multiple cardboard pieces. This preliminary formation of the protective structure resolves the contradiction between low cost and quick deployment.
3Device complexity
If bottles are shipped in standard boxes without specialized support, then packaging simplicity is improved, but bottle breakage increases due to inadequate support during drops and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing specialized protective features only where needed - the foam cradle creates localized cushioning zones at critical points such as the bottle base, body, and cap areas. The molded foam structure concentrates protection where bottles are most vulnerable to drop and vibration damage, rather than uniformly complicating the entire packaging system. This localized approach maintains relative packaging simplicity while significantly improving bottle integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A shipping container for glass bottles such as are used with wine or juice is provided. The shipping container has a lower tray and an upper tray which fit inside of a cardboard box. The upper tray engages the shoulder of the bottle rather than the neck or cap of the bottle and thus holds the bottle more securely and with less risk of damage to the bottle or shipping tray when the cardboard box is dropped or when weight is placed thereon.