Foldable Corrugated Cardboard Cooler With Locking Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coolers formed from a folded sheet of material with a water-resistant coating lack alternative designs that facilitate easy assembly, disassembly, and recycling while maintaining cooling functionality.
Innovation Solution
A cooler made from a single sheet of corrugated cardboard that can be folded into an assembled configuration for use and collapsed for storage, shipping, disposal, or recycling, featuring fold lines, perforations, and a locking mechanism for easy handling and latching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cooler is made from a folded sheet of material with water-resistant coating, then cooling functionality is achieved, but assembly and disassembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is divided into multiple panels (bottom panel, side panels, end panels, lid panel) that can be independently assembled and disassembled through fold lines and locking mechanisms, enabling easy assembly while maintaining cooling functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The cooler structure incorporates dynamic folding capabilities allowing transition between assembled and collapsed states through designated fold lines, enabling easy assembly and compact storage without compromising cooling performance when assembled
2Ease of operation
If a cooler is designed for easy assembly and disassembly, then ease of operation improves, but structural strength may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Fold lines and locking mechanisms are pre-configured in the sheet material during manufacturing, allowing users to easily assemble the cooler by simply folding and locking panels together without requiring complex tools or procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism replaces traditional mechanical fasteners with a simple tab-and-slot system that provides secure structural strength while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly through manual operation
3Ease of manufacture
If a cooler is made from single sheet material, then manufacturing simplicity improves, but recycling and disposal difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The single sheet material is segmented into distinct panels with designated fold lines and locking mechanisms, enabling easy disassembly into separate components for recycling while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a single sheet format
Solution Approach 2:
The cooler design facilitates recycling by allowing complete disassembly into individual panels that can be separated and processed, while the single sheet material structure enables efficient manufacturing and disposal through simple collapse and compacting
4Volume of moving object
If a cooler is designed for collapsed storage and shipping, then volume reduction improves, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler incorporates dynamic fold lines and locking mechanisms that enable smooth transition between expanded and collapsed states, allowing compact storage volume while simplifying assembly through intuitive folding and locking actions
Solution Approach 2:
The cooler panels are designed to nest within each other when collapsed, reducing storage volume significantly while the pre-configured fold lines and locking mechanisms keep the assembly process simple and intuitive
Data Source
AI summary
A box is made by folding a sheet of material. Preferably, the box is formed by applying adhesive and folding using a machine, and a waterproof or water-resistant coating is applied to the sheet of material so that the box is configured for use as a cooler. The box includes: a storage portion, including a bottom panel, first and second end panels, and first and second side panels; four corner panels; and first and second top panels. The top panels include openings that register when the box is assembled and in a closed configuration to define an opening to be used as a handhold for gripping the box. Reinforcing panels of one of the top panels includes flaps located on an interior of the box that cover the handhold opening. The box further preferably includes a locking tab and locking panel for latching closed the top panels of the box.