Flexible Sheet Product Container With Drop Panel Dispensing Ledge
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for packaging and shipping bulk flexible sheet products, such as single-face corrugated paper, involve large and unwieldy rolls that require specialized handling, lead to product damage, and result in inefficient logistics and disposal challenges.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a drop panel that allows for the conversion into a dispenser, enabling easy handling and dispensing of flexible sheet products without core tubes, using a blank that can be assembled from corrugated fibreboard or paperboard material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If flexible sheet product is packaged on large rolls, then the product can be shipped in bulk, but the rolls become heavy and unwieldy requiring specialized handling equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The large roll is segmented into multiple smaller stacks, each contained within its own container. This allows the bulk quantity to be divided into manageable units that can be handled individually without requiring specialized handling equipment for entire large rolls.
Solution Approach 2:
The product is extracted from the traditional roll format and reorganized into flat stacks. The core tube is removed entirely, and the product is contained within a box structure that provides its own structural support, eliminating the need for centralized roll support.
2Productivity
If product is shipped on large rolls, then bulk transportation is efficient, but the rolls require specially-provisioned trucks and complicated logistics operations
Solution Approach 1:
The bulk product is segmented into multiple standardized containers that can be efficiently loaded and unloaded using conventional equipment. Each container is a self-contained unit that can be independently handled, reducing the complexity of logistics operations compared to managing single large rolls.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design uses standardized dimensions and stacking capabilities that allow for universal handling with conventional equipment. The containers can be stacked for efficient space utilization during shipping and can be dispensed using simple manual or automated mechanisms, making them compatible with various logistics systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If product is wound on core tubes, then the product maintains its shape during shipping, but the core tubes cannot be reused and are unsuitable for normal recycling
Solution Approach 1:
The core tube is completely extracted from the system. Instead of winding product around a central tube, the product is stacked flat within a box container that provides structural support through its walls and bottom, eliminating the disposable core tube entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed to be reusable or recyclable. After the product is dispensed, the container can be reused for other purposes or recycled through normal paperboard recycling streams, unlike the core tubes that require special disposal facilities.
4Quantity of substance
If product is stored on rolls, then bulk storage is achieved, but a portion of the product adjacent to the core tube becomes tightly curled and unusable
Solution Approach 1:
The product is extracted from the rolled configuration that causes curling at the core tube interface. By using a flat stack configuration within a container, all portions of the product remain flat and accessible, eliminating the unusable curled portion that occurs with roll storage.
5Length of moving object
If rolls are made large to hold hundreds of feet of material, then shipping capacity increases, but the rolls become difficult to handle and dispense
Solution Approach 1:
The large capacity is achieved by stacking multiple layers of product within the container rather than creating a single large roll. This segmentation into layers maintains ease of handling while achieving the same or greater total capacity. The product can be dispensed layer by layer or in smaller sections.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing roll diameter to achieve greater capacity, the solution transitions to a three-dimensional stacked configuration within a box. This uses vertical and horizontal stacking to achieve high capacity while maintaining a compact, easy-to-handle external dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A container including a drop panel to facilitate dispensing of material from the container and a blank for forming the container. The drop panel is formed from a portion of an end panel alone or a portion of the end panel and an entirety of a top flange. When the container is assembled, a dispensing ledge is formed by folding the drop panel toward an outside of the container and connecting a top drop panel edge to an outer surface of the container. Also provided is a method of forming a dispensing ledge in a container.