Flexible Carrier Outer Bands Yielding for Single Container Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional container carriers, such as flexible plastic ring carriers, are not cost-effective for unitizing single containers for distribution, as they are designed for multipacks and may not provide a loose enough engagement to differentiate single cans from multipacks, making them unsuitable for efficient and inexpensive single can distribution.
Innovation Solution
A flexible carrier with a layer of sheet material featuring arcuate container receiving apertures and outer bands that yield or neck to create a loose, uniform engagement with containers, allowing for easy removal and distribution while maintaining stability through the distribution chain, often used in combination with shrink film wrap or cardboard trays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional flexible plastic ring carriers are used to unitize containers, then containers can be grouped into multipacks, but the engagement is too tight and not suitable for single container distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the carrier material by using a non-recovering flexible material with specific elongation properties. The material is designed to elongate during container insertion but not recover, creating a permanent deformation that results in a looser final engagement. This parameter change in material behavior directly resolves the contradiction between tight engagement for security and loose engagement for easy removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic behavior to the carrier system through the yielding/necking mechanism. The outer bands are designed to deform plastically under load, transitioning from a rigid constraint to a more compliant state. This dynamic adaptation allows the carrier to provide initial tight engagement during loading, then automatically adjust to a looser state that facilitates easy container removal for single-unit distribution.
2Ease of manufacture
If multipack carriers are used for single container distribution, then unitization is achieved, but cost-effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carrier structure into distinct functional elements: inner bands for container engagement and outer bands for structural support and yielding. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while using a unified non-recovering flexible material, reducing overall complexity and manufacturing cost compared to traditional multipack carriers, while enabling single-container distribution versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible plastic sheet material in thin film form to create the entire carrier structure. This approach eliminates the need for rigid components, complex joining mechanisms, or multiple material types, significantly reducing manufacturing costs. The flexible thin film maintains adaptability for single container distribution while being cost-effective to produce and dispose of after use.
3Reliability
If tight engagement is provided for container security, then stability during transport is improved, but ease of removal for distribution is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic behavior to the carrier system through the yielding/necking mechanism. The outer bands are designed to deform plastically under load, transitioning from a rigid constraint to a more compliant state. This dynamic adaptation allows the carrier to provide initial tight engagement during loading, then automatically adjust to a looser state that facilitates easy container removal for single-unit distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier material performs self-adjustment through its non-recovering flexible properties. During container insertion, the material elongates and deforms plastically, automatically creating the desired loose engagement state without requiring external intervention or adjustment mechanisms. This self-service behavior ensures both initial stability and subsequent ease of removal, resolving the contradiction between reliable transport and easy distribution.
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 flexible carrier design minimizes costs by enabling efficient unitization and distribution of single containers, ensuring they are easily removable and distinguishable from multipacks, while maintaining stability during transportation.
Implementation Method 1
outer bands that yield or neck to create a loose, uniform engagement with containers
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A package for unitizing a plurality of containers that includes a flexible carrier (10) having an array of container receiving apertures (25) formed in longitudinal rows and transverse ranks wherein each container receiving aperture engages with a respective container of the plurality of containers and includes an outer band (40) having a sufficiently narrow width to result in permanent yield following stretching engagement with and application to a respective container and a secondary package (60) positioned with respect to the carrier and containers to form a unitized package.