Glass Shipping Container with Inclined Back Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass shipping containers face issues with glass sheets shifting during transit, leading to increased wear on the container and potential damage, due to inadequate support and haphazard banding, which reduces the lifespan of both the container and the glass.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a bottom structure with oriented strand board (OSB) and corrugated cardboard, including an inclined back support mechanism and foam rails to secure glass sheets, allowing for efficient banding and distributing weight forces to reinforce the container, while accommodating the curvature of windshields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If glass sheets are shipped in an upright position to maximize container space, then warehouse space utilization is improved, but glass sheets shift during transit increasing wear on the container and potential damage to the glass
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-assembled with bottom support structures, side devices, and banding routing features before shipping. These preliminary structural preparations ensure that when glass sheets are loaded in upright position, they are immediately supported and constrained, preventing shifting during transit while maintaining space-efficient vertical stacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs localized support features including bottom support structures with specific geometric configurations, side devices positioned at critical locations, and targeted banding routing paths. These localized structural enhancements provide precise support where needed to prevent glass sheet shifting while maintaining overall container efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If glass sheets are placed directly on the bottom pallet to simplify loading, then ease of operation is improved, but localized induced weight stresses shorten the lifespan of the bottom pallet
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom support structure is segmented into multiple load-bearing elements distributed across the pallet surface. This segmentation distributes the weight of glass sheets across multiple contact points and structural components, preventing localized stress concentration that would otherwise shorten the pallet's lifespan, while maintaining straightforward loading procedures.
3Device complexity
If banding is applied in a haphazard manner to secure glass sheets, then device complexity is reduced, but the container does not provide adequate access for routing the banding when loaded with windshields
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates pre-designed banding routing features and access pathways built into the structure before loading. These preliminary structural provisions include designated routing channels and access points that guide banding application in a systematic manner, ensuring adequate access when the container is loaded with windshields while maintaining organized, non-haphazard banding placement.
Data Source
AI summary
A container for transporting glass sheets includes a bottom structure, a back wall and first and second side walls coupled to the back wall, all three walls extending upwardly from the bottom structure. The container also includes a back support structure coupled to the back wall that is configured to constrain a plurality of glass sheets. The back support structure includes at least one back support member that extends in a substantially vertical direction and includes at least one offset member that includes a first/second side defining a first/second length extending inwardly a first/second distance from the back support member. The second length is greater than the first length. The back support structure also includes at least one foam rail coupled to a foam rail support member. The foam rail support member is coupled to the offset member.