Flexible Segregation Disk with Radial Slits and Tear Breaks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible containers lack efficient mechanisms for segregating and securing items within their volume, as they often require complex mechanisms or external assistance for collapsing and expanding, and do not allow for easy customization of compartment sizes.
Innovation Solution
The use of a collapsible container with a disk having radial slits forming flexible wedges and integral pull tabs, which can be easily inserted and removed to define and redefine compartments within the container, utilizing 'tear breaks' to prevent material damage during flexure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a disk with radial slits forming flexible wedges is used for segregation, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential material tearing during flexure
Solution Approach 1:
Holes are pre-formed at the terminating ends of the radial slits to create controlled tear breaks. This preliminary structural feature prevents uncontrolled material tearing during flexure, allowing the wedges to bend reliably while maintaining material integrity throughout the operational lifecycle of the disk
Solution Approach 2:
The disk structure incorporates localized holes at specific positions (terminating ends of radial slits) to provide tear break functionality. This local modification allows the majority of the disk to maintain its structural integrity while enabling controlled flexibility only where needed, resolving the contradiction between overall reliability and localized ease of operation
2Ease of operation
If a single body construction with integral pull tab is used, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pull tab is merged with the wedge portion to form a single integral structure. This combining of components eliminates the need for separate attachment mechanisms, simplifying the overall device while maintaining ease of removal through the pull tab functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The integral pull tab structure allows the disk to be removed by the user without requiring additional tools or assistance. The pull tab serves as a self-contained removal mechanism that is part of the disk itself, enabling easy operation while avoiding the complexity of external removal systems
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
This solution allows for easy placement and replacement of segregation disks within the container, enabling flexible compartment definition and secure storage of items, improving usability and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
a disk for a collapsible container composed of a bendable material having a plurality of radial slits that form flexible wedges around its periphery, that are designed to flex independently inwardly or outwardly
Implementation Method 2
At the terminating end of each radial slit a 'tear break' is provided by means of a hole that prevents the slits from tearing during flexure in or out of a container
Data Source
AI summary
A segregation disk and method of separately storing items in a collapsible, tubular container uses segregation disks for segregating the collapsible container into multiple chambers of user-selectable size. The segregation disks are generally planar disks having a diameter slightly greater than the interior diameter of the container, and formed of a flexible material that have a plurality of radial slits extending inwardly from their periphery to form a plurality of flexible wedges. At the terminus of each radial slit is a tear break, generally a circular hole. An integral pull tab extends from a peripheral region of one of the flexible wedges to facilitate removal.