Food Container Perimeter Flange Flatness via Interlocking Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tray containers for food products have a perimeter flange with steps or reliefs at the corners, which can compromise the airtight sealing of the container when using a lid or film.
Innovation Solution
The container is designed with fixing tabs that form a step of equal height to the blank material's thickness, allowing the minor panels to be coplanar when joined, resulting in a flat and smooth perimeter flange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If fixing tabs are used to join minor panels at corners, then the container structure is strengthened and panels are securely connected, but steps or reliefs are created on the upper surface of the perimeter flange that compromise the flatness required for airtight sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing tab is designed to engage with a recess in the adjacent minor panel, creating a interlocking joint that distributes the connection across multiple surfaces. This dimensional arrangement allows the tab to be embedded within the panel thickness rather than protruding from the upper surface, maintaining flatness while achieving secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing tab is nested within a recess of the adjacent minor panel, with the tab fitting into a specially formed cavity. This nesting arrangement allows the tab to be hidden within the panel structure, eliminating protrusions from the upper surface while maintaining the mechanical interlock for strong connection.
2Strength
If the blank material has conspicuous thickness, then the container provides adequate structural strength and rigidity, but the resulting steps at corners become more pronounced and compromise sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The recess in the adjacent minor panel is designed with specific dimensions that correspond to the tab thickness and material thickness. This localized geometric feature allows the tab to be fully embedded within the panel structure at the corner region, ensuring that the upper surface remains coplanar regardless of the overall material thickness, while maintaining structural integrity.
3Manufacturing precision
If compression and pressing of the perimeter flange at corners is applied, then the thickness of overlapping portions is reduced to improve flatness, but this solution is only effective for compressible materials like corrugated cardboard and not for materials with small thickness or poor compressibility
Solution Approach 1:
The recess is pre-formed in the adjacent minor panel before the tab attachment process. This preliminary geometric preparation allows the tab to be inserted and secured without requiring compression or pressing operations during assembly. The interlocking geometry inherently accommodates various material types regardless of their compressibility characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression and pressing mechanism is replaced by a geometric interlocking system where the tab fits into the pre-formed recess. This substitution eliminates the need for material compression, allowing the same joining method to be effectively applied to materials with varying thickness and compressibility properties.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A tray container (1) comprises a bottom wall (2; 102) and a plurality of side walls (3, 4; 103) connected to each other and to the bottom wall (2; 1022) to form a containment cavity (6; 106) and a perimeter flange (5; 105), connected to the side walls (3, 4; 103) and configured to be coupled with a covering element (10); the container (1) is made by folding and forming a respective blank (50; 150; 250) comprising a base portion (52; 152; 252) and a plurality of main panels (53, 54; 153; 253), suitable to form respectively the bottom wall (2; 102) and the side walls (3, 4; 103) of the container (1), and a plurality of minor panels (55, 56; 155; 255) suitable to form the perimeter flange (5; 105) of the container (1); the blank (50; 150; 250) comprises a plurality of fixing tabs (57; 157; 257) connected to first end portions (55a; 155a; 255a) of the minor panels (55; 155; 255) and configured to be folded along shaping lines (67; 167; 267) and be fixed to lower faces (56b; 155c) of respective second end portions (56a; 155b; 255b) of adjacent minor panels (56; 155; 255) so as to create angular portions (15; 115) of the perimeter flange (5; 105); each fixing tab (57; 157; 257) is folded and shaped at the respective shaping line (67; 167; 267) so as to form a step (60) having a height (h) substantially equal to a thickness (s) of the blank (50; 150; 250) so that the first and second end portion (55a, 56a; 155a, 155b; 255a, 255b) of the minor panels (54, 55; 155; 255) are substantially coplanar.