Folded Box Design with Self-Locking Tabs for Compact Nesting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional folding boxes for quick consumption items require significant storage space due to air gaps between stacked clamshell containers, making them difficult to handle and store efficiently in outlets with limited space.
Innovation Solution
A folding box design featuring fold-in tabs and delta tabs allows for easy assembly without gluing, enabling flat stacking with reduced space requirements, and includes locking elements for stability and easy handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional clamshell containers are stacked one inside another, then they can be stored and transported, but they require a lot of storage space due to air gaps between nested shells
Solution Approach 1:
The folding box is designed to be nested within another box when flat, allowing compact stacking without air gaps. The flat configuration enables one box to be placed inside another, eliminating the volume wasted by air gaps in conventional stacked containers.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of stacking boxes vertically with air gaps (conventional method), the invention inverts the stacking approach by flattening the boxes and nesting them horizontally, one inside another, thereby eliminating air gaps and reducing storage volume.
2Stability of the object's composition
If connecting tabs are glued to side walls to join base and lid shells, then the structure is stable, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The folding box employs self-locking tabs that automatically engage with corresponding slots when the box is folded into its upright configuration. This self-assembling mechanism eliminates the need for external gluing operations, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural stability through the interlocking tab-slot design.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical bonding system (gluing) with a mechanical interlocking system (tabs and slots). The mechanical engagement of tabs into slots provides stable connections without requiring adhesive materials or drying time, simplifying the manufacturing process.
3Shape
If all flaps are hammered in simultaneously during erection, then the box takes shape, but the assembly process becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The flaps are segmented into different groups that can be folded in sequential steps rather than all at once. The design allows for progressive assembly where certain flaps are erected first to form a stable base, followed by subsequent flaps, making the assembly process more manageable and less difficult.
Solution Approach 2:
Certain flaps are pre-folded or pre-positioned in a flat configuration before final assembly. This preliminary preparation allows the main body of the box to be formed first, providing a stable structure onto which remaining flaps can be easily attached, reducing overall assembly difficulty.
4Area of moving object
If base and lid side walls are inclined outwards, then the shells are expanded towards their opening, but the storage efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls are designed to be dynamic rather than static - they can be inclined outwards when the box is in its upright, functional configuration to provide expanded opening area, but fold flat when the box is collapsed for storage. This dynamic transformation allows the box to optimize both its functional and storage states.
Solution Approach 2:
The side walls utilize dimensional transformation by changing their orientation from inclined (providing opening area) to flat (enabling compact storage). When collapsed, the side walls fold along with the base and lid into a flat plane, allowing boxes to be nested without the volume penalty of outwardly inclined walls.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Folding box for holding ready-to-eat items, comprising: • a lower front wall section (2) with a lower locking element (21), • a bottom wall (4) connected to the lower front wall section via a lower front fold line (3), • lower side wall sections (6.1, 6.2) connected to the bottom wall via lower side fold lines, • a back wall (8) connected to the bottom wall via a lower rear fold line, • a lid wall (10) connected to the back wall via an upper rear fold line, • upper side wall sections (12.1, 12.2) connected to the lid wall via upper side fold lines, • rear tuck flaps (13.1, 13.2) connected to the back wall via side fold lines, • lower rear delta flaps (15.1, 15.2), • upper rear delta flaps (17.1, 17.2), • an upper front wall section with an upper locking element (26).