Foldable Multi-Panel Carrier for Secure Container Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carriers for containers lack efficient and robust mechanisms for holding and displaying multiple containers while providing clear visibility and easy access, often resulting in materials waste and inefficient structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A carrier design featuring foldable central panels with openings and attachment panels that allow partial face-to-face contact, combined with adhesive glue openings for secure container retention, enabling multiple points of attachment and easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional carrier designs are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but structural integrity and container retention are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is divided into multiple panels (front, back, left, right, top, bottom) that are foldably connected along edges, creating a modular structure that provides both strength and controlled complexity. Each panel serves a specific structural function while maintaining overall coherence.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable panel structure allows the carrier to collapse into a compact nested form when empty, and expand into a rigid structure when containers are inserted, optimizing both storage efficiency and structural integrity during transport.
2Ease of operation
If carriers with limited openings are used, then container security is improved, but visibility and access are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The front and back panels each contain multiple separate openings positioned at different locations, allowing selective access to specific containers while maintaining security for others. This segmented approach enables both easy access and reliable retention simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the carrier panels have different properties: areas with openings provide access and visibility, while solid areas maintain structural integrity and security. The local quality varies by location to optimize both access and retention functions.
3Strength
If more material is used for carrier construction, then structural integrity is improved, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier transitions from a flat 2D blank to a 3D structured form through folding, maximizing the structural efficiency of the material used. The dynamic transformation allows the same material to provide both flat-pack efficiency and erected structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
By utilizing the third dimension through folding and panel elevation, the carrier achieves enhanced structural integrity without adding material in the horizontal plane. The vertical dimension created by folded panels provides structural strength while minimizing material consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier for holding a plurality of containers includes a plurality of panels that includes a at least two central panels and at least one attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers. The at least two central panels include a first central panel foldably connected to a second central panel. The first central panel has at least one opening and a portion of the second central panel is exposed through the at least one opening when the first central panel and the second central panel are in at least partial face-to-face contact.