Foldable Bicycle Component Transport Box for Reusable Packing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport systems for bicycle components, particularly bicycle wheels, are unsustainable due to the disposal of packaging materials, incur additional costs, and require significant effort in packing and unpacking, making them inefficient for shipping large quantities.
Innovation Solution
A transport system comprising a transport box unit with pivotally connected wall sections that form a receiving space for bicycle components, allowing easy assembly, disassembly, and storage, and includes pocket units for individual components, ensuring quick handling and protection without the need for tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If reusable packaging is used for transporting bicycle wheels, then sustainability is improved and packaging waste is reduced, but the effort and time required for packing and unpacking increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is divided into modular components: a base unit, multiple stackable container units, and individual wheel pockets. Each container unit can be independently assembled, filled, and disassembled. The pockets themselves are segmented to individually accommodate each wheel, allowing for efficient organization and quick loading/unloading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The container units are designed with dynamic, collapsible walls that can be folded flat for compact storage and transport. The side walls and end walls can be collapsed inward, reducing the volume of empty containers for return shipping. This dynamic structure allows the packaging to adapt between full and empty states, optimizing space utilization throughout the logistics cycle.
2Loss of substance
If complex reusable packaging systems are used to reduce waste, then sustainability is improved, but the complexity of assembly and disassembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into simple, standardized components that can be easily assembled without tools. The container units attach to the base and to each other using simple stacking mechanisms. Each unit contains individual pockets for wheels, creating a modular system where complexity is distributed across simple repeating units rather than concentrated in a single complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing a complex system that simplifies packing, the invention inverts the approach by using simple, flat-packable container units that are easy to assemble. The complexity is inverted from the assembly process to the storage state, where the containers occupy minimal space but require no complex mechanisms to deploy.
3Productivity
If traditional disposable packaging is used, then packing efficiency is maintained, but environmental sustainability deteriorates due to continuous waste generation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a circular economy approach where the packaging is not discarded after use but recovered and reused. Empty container units are collapsed flat and returned to the manufacturer or distribution center, where they are refilled and sent out again. This recovery and reuse cycle eliminates the need for continuous production of disposable packaging while maintaining efficient transport capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging system transitions from a static, single-use model to a dynamic, multi-cycle model. The containers are designed to be repeatedly assembled, filled, transported, emptied, collapsed, and reused. This dynamic usage pattern maximizes the utility of each packaging unit over its lifecycle, improving sustainability without sacrificing packing efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A transport system (50) for bicycle components (100) comprising a transport box unit (1) and a plurality of pocket units (40) for receiving bicycle components (100), wherein the transport box unit (1) comprises several wall sections (21-30) which, in a transport position (3), form wall units (10-15) that define a receiving space (4). Bicycle components (1) can be received in the receiving space (4) in pocket units (40) arranged adjacent to one another. The transport box unit (1) and the pocket units (40) can each be transferred into a flat and stackable storage position (2). Each wall section (21-30) is articulated to at least one other wall section (21-30) such that, in the storage position (2), several wall sections (21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 29) lie flat against one another.In the storage position (2), the wall sections (29, 30) attached to the longitudinal side wall (11) for the ceiling wall (14) and the floor wall (15) are folded backwards and lie close to the outside of the longitudinal side wall. One wall section (30) is shorter than the other wall section (29). Together, both wall sections (29, 30) correspond to the height (33) of a side wall.