Flat Blow-Molded Tunnel With Living Hinges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current playground equipment packaging and shipping methods are inefficient, leading to higher costs due to the bulkiness of tunnel structures when assembled, which hinders cost-effective distribution and installation.
Innovation Solution
Flexible tunnel structures with integral living hinges allow for flat configuration during shipping, enabling efficient packaging and easy assembly into various configurations, including tunnels, by connecting ends and sides, thereby reducing shipping volume and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tunnel structures are shipped in assembled configuration, then structural integrity and ease of use are improved, but shipping volume and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The tunnel structure is divided into multiple segments that can be collapsed flat for shipping and then reassembled at the destination. Each segment maintains structural integrity while allowing compact storage, resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and shipping volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The tunnel structure transitions from a three-dimensional assembled form to a two-dimensional flat configuration for shipping. This dimensional transformation dramatically reduces shipping volume while allowing the structure to be easily reconfigured at the destination.
2Strength
If tunnel structures are designed as rigid assembled forms, then structural strength is improved, but packaging efficiency and shipping cost deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The tunnel structure incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to transition between rigid (for strength during use) and flexible (for compact shipping). The structure maintains structural integrity when assembled while enabling efficient packaging when collapsed.
Solution Approach 2:
The tunnel is constructed with flexible materials and thin-walled segments that can be collapsed flat for shipping yet maintain sufficient structural strength when assembled. This resolves the contradiction between requiring strength for usability and flexibility for efficient packaging.
3Volume of moving object
If tunnel structures are made collapsible for flat shipping, then shipping volume is reduced, but structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the tunnel into standardized segments with uniform collapse mechanisms, the structural complexity is managed through repetition of simple, proven designs rather than creating entirely new complex structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional elements (structural support, collapse mechanism, connection points) are merged into integrated segments that perform multiple functions simultaneously, reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining collapsibility.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a structure includes a flexible plastic body having a first end and a second end, as well as a first side and a second side disposed opposite each other. The first side includes a first group of segments, and the second side includes a second group of segments. The structure also includes a group of living hinges integral with the body, and one of the living hinges is positioned between segments, and the living hinges enable the flexible plastic body to alternatively assume a flat state, or another state in which the body is not flat.