Foldable Container Small Door Structure for Load Deformation Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing large containers with small doors on side plates suffer from deformation and structural weakness, leading to safety hazards, increased storage costs, and product loss due to inadequate load-bearing capacity and simple hinge connections.

Innovation Solution

A foldable container design with a small door comprising a first part with gradually reducing width and a second part with wider width, featuring meshing portions and structures on the side plates and door, along with a hinge connection, enhances structural integrity and resistance to deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a simple hinge connection is used to connect the small door to the side plate, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the strength and anti-deformation ability of the side plate are weakened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidstrength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The small door is divided into two parts: a first part with gradually reducing width and a second part with wider width. This segmentation allows the door structure to better distribute and bear the tension force from goods, improving strength while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first part of the small door has a width that gradually reduces from upper end to lower end, creating varying local strength distribution. This local quality variation optimizes the door's ability to bear tension force while minimizing material usage and maintaining ease of manufacture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If a substantially rectangular small door is arranged on the side plate, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the bending resistance ability and anti-pressure ability of the side plate are weakened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidstability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The small door transitions from a symmetric rectangular shape to an asymmetric structure where the first part has gradually reducing width and the second part has wider width. This asymmetric design improves bending resistance and anti-pressure ability by creating a more stable structural configuration that better resists deformation forces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Ease of manufacture

If the meshing link of the side plate and small door is arranged vertically, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the small door rotates and deforms along the meshing vertical line under load

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidstrength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The meshing link structure is enhanced by adding horizontal meshing portions (first meshing portions on left and right end walls) in addition to the vertical dimension. This multi-dimensional meshing approach prevents rotation and deformation along the vertical line while maintaining manufacturability through standardized geometric features

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3323752B1Foldable container
Publication Date: 2026.01.07 SHANGHAI HONGYAN RETURNABLE TRANSIT PACKAGINGS CO LTD
  • EP3323752B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3323752B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3323752B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a foldable container (100), comprising a base (100), side plates(2,3) and a small door (31). The side plates are connected to the base (1). The small door (31) is arranged on the side plates. The small door (31) at least comprises a first part (312), wherein the width of the first part (312) gradually reduces from the upper end to the lower end, first meshing portions (315) are provided on the left end wall and the right wall of the first part (312), and first meshing structure (342) matching the first meshing portions (315) are provided on the side plates. When the container overall has a full load, the outward deformation of the small door is small when the small door is extruded by goods, thereby saving on conveyance or stacking space of the container, and the reliability of stacking and conveyance is improved.