Foldable Rainwater Box Hinged Panel Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid storage structures, such as storm boxes or rainwater boxes, are bulky and costly to transport and store due to their inability to significantly reduce overall volume when stacked, making handling complex and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A foldable rainwater box design with rotatable sides and ends connected by hinges, allowing for a compact folded state and easy assembly into a rectangular or square shape, featuring pillars for strength and locking mechanisms for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If conventional liquid storage structures are stacked one on top of each other, then storage capacity is provided, but overall volume decrease is minimal and transport costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The box is divided into multiple panels (front wall, rear wall, side walls, base, top) that are connected by hinges, allowing each panel to be independently positioned. This segmentation enables the box to be folded into a compact configuration for transport while maintaining full storage capacity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The box transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic foldable structure with movable panels connected by hinges. This allows the box to change its volume - expanding to full capacity for storage and collapsing to minimal volume for transport, directly resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and transport efficiency.
2Volume of stationary object
If conventional boxes are stacked for storage and transport, then storage is achieved, but handling becomes complex and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The foldable design with hinged panels allows the box to be easily collapsed into a compact form for transport and then quickly unfolded at the destination. This dynamic capability simplifies handling operations compared to moving bulky rigid boxes, reducing labor requirements and operational complexity.
3Strength
If the box structure is made rigid for strength, then structural integrity is maintained, but volume reduction for transport is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The box is segmented into multiple panels connected by hinges, where each panel can be individually strengthened while maintaining the ability to fold. This allows the structure to achieve sufficient strength for its function while collapsing to minimal volume for transport, resolving the contradiction between strength and compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The box utilizes flexible hinged connections between rigid panels, creating a structure that is rigid when assembled (maintaining structural integrity) but flexible when folded (achieving compact transport volume). The hinges allow the rigid panels to move relative to each other, enabling volume reduction without compromising panel strength.
Data Source
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AI summary
A foldable rainwater box (100) for liquid storage comprises a first side (101) and second side (102) forming opposing sides of the box in a use state, and a first end (103) and a second end (104) forming opposing ends of the box in the use state. Adjacent sides and ends are rotatably connected such that the sides and ends can rotate from a folded state to the use state, the first side (101) and the first end (103) laying in a first plane and the second side (102) and the second end (104) laying in a second plane, the planes being parallel.