Flat-Pack Coffin Assembly for Space-Efficient Shipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffins, particularly those made from traditional materials, face challenges in minimizing transportation costs while providing quick and easy assembly, and often result in significant unused space in shipping containers.
Innovation Solution
A flat-packed coffin made of environmentally friendly materials, comprising a lid, side panels, end panels, and a base assembly, which can be assembled without tools in under 3 minutes, using locking protrusions, connectors, and a fabric-covered frame for efficient packing and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional particle board coffins with resin and timber foil finish are used, then the coffin provides a traditional appearance and structural integrity, but transportation costs are high and significant unused space remains in shipping containers
Solution Approach 1:
The coffin is divided into multiple flat panels (side panels, end panels, base panels, lid panels) that can be manufactured separately and shipped in a compact flat-packed configuration. Each panel is cut to specific dimensions with pre-drilled holes for assembly, allowing efficient stacking and shipping while maintaining the ability to assemble a complete coffin structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The flat panels are designed to stack nested within each other in a compact arrangement for shipping. The panels are arranged in layers with smaller panels nested within the footprint of larger panels, maximizing space utilization in the shipping container while maintaining easy access for assembly.
2Ease of manufacture
If eco-coffins are woven from sustainable materials like bamboo, willow, or rattan, then the coffin is environmentally friendly and biodegradable, but the weaving process is expensive and assembly is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The coffin is constructed from pre-manufactured flat panels made from sustainable materials like bamboo, pine, or paulownia. These panels are prepared in advance with all necessary cutouts and holes, allowing rapid on-site assembly without time-consuming weaving or complex construction processes.
Solution Approach 2:
All panels are pre-assembled and pre-prepared at the manufacturing location with pre-drilled holes, pre-cut slots, and pre-attached connectors. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site construction and allows the coffin to be assembled quickly using simple tool-free connection mechanisms.
3Loss of time
If the coffin is designed for quick assembly without tools, then assembly time is reduced to under 3 minutes, but the structural complexity of connection mechanisms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into discrete, simple components: locking protrusions on panels, corresponding slots in the base assembly, and connectors for joining panels. Each component has a single, specific function, allowing rapid assembly through straightforward insertion and engagement without complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection mechanisms are designed to be self-aligning and self-locking. The locking protrusions automatically engage with the slots when panels are inserted, and connectors snap into place without requiring tools or complex adjustment procedures. The design guides the user through the assembly process intuitively.
4Ease of operation
If the coffin includes a base assembly with slats and padded layer, then comfort and dignity are maintained, but the number of components increases requiring more assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The base assembly combines multiple functional elements into a single integrated unit: the base panel with slats, the padded layer, and the fabric cover are pre-assembled together as one component. This merging reduces the number of separate parts that need to be handled and assembled, while still providing the comfort and dignity functions of slats for airflow and padding for support.
Solution Approach 2:
The base assembly is pre-assembled at the manufacturing location with the slats, padding, and fabric cover already in place. This preliminary assembly eliminates the need for the user to separately assemble these components, reducing the overall number of assembly steps while maintaining the comfort and dignity features.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a flat-pack coffin made of environmentally friendly materials, the coffin comprising a lid, left- and right-hand side panels, head and foot end panels and a base assembly, wherein each right- and left-hand side panel independently has a top edge, a bottom edge, a head end edge and a foot end edge, each side panel independently being provided with a plurality of downwardly extending locking protrusions on the bottom edge for insertion into the base assembly and a slot on each end edge for accepting a connector from an end panel; wherein each foot and head end panel independently has a top edge, a bottom edge, an interior face and an exterior face, each end panel independently being provided with a plurality of downwardly extending protrusions on the bottom edge for insertion into the base assembly and connectors on the interior face for insertion into the slots in the side panels so as to secure the end panels to the side panels; and wherein the base assembly comprises a layer of base slats, and a padded layer on top of the base slat layer to form a resting surface for a corpse, wherein the resting surface has upstanding edges defining a rim around the perimeter thereof, the rim having a first plurality of apertures for accepting the downwardly extending protrusions of the end panels and a second plurality of apertures for accepting the locking protrusions of the side panels so as to secure the side panels to the base assembly.