Glass Substrate Packaging With Foam Cushioning for Automated Unpacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for packing and transporting thin or ultra-thin glass substrates are prone to breakage due to lack of stiffness, and often result in surface defects or unsuitable automated unpacking, with lamination methods being costly and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A packaging method using a base and cover part with interlayers and centering aids to protect the edges, combined with underlayers and overlayers for stability, and foam elements for compression, enabling secure transport and automated unpacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thin or ultra-thin glass substrates are packed using conventional stacking methods with interlayers, then the substrates can be transported, but the lack of inherent stiffness leads to high susceptibility to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by placing foam elements in the packaging box before inserting the glass substrates. These foam elements are positioned to provide support and cushioning to the substrates during transport, compensating for their lack of inherent stiffness and preventing breakage without requiring lamination of the glass itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses foam elements as intermediary objects between the packaging box and the glass substrates. These foam elements act as a mediator that provides mechanical support and protection to the fragile substrates, allowing them to be transported safely without modifying the substrates themselves through costly lamination processes.
2Reliability
If lamination is used to protect glass substrates, then breakage resistance improves, but the cost increases and the process becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying lamination directly to the glass substrates (which is costly and inconvenient), the patent introduces foam elements as intermediary protective objects. These foam elements provide the necessary protection against breakage without requiring any modification to the glass substrates themselves, thereby avoiding the costs and inconveniences of lamination processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable foam elements as a low-cost alternative to expensive lamination. These foam elements can be easily replaced for each packaging operation, providing economical protection without the need for permanent or reusable lamination systems.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If interlayers are used between substrates, then direct contact of glass surfaces is avoided, but surface reactions may occur leading to defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional interlayers with foam elements as intermediary objects. The foam elements are positioned to prevent direct contact between glass substrates while being chemically inert, thereby avoiding surface reactions and defects that can occur with conventional interlayer materials.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional packaging methods are used, then substrates can be packed, but automated unpacking becomes difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the packaging system with foam elements that facilitate self-service automated unpacking. The foam elements are positioned and sized such that they automatically release the glass substrates during automated unpacking operations, eliminating the need for complex manual intervention while maintaining secure protection during transport.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for packing flat substrates, more particularly glass substrates, in a packaging box is provided. The method include the steps of: providing a base part of the packaging box, the base part comprising a lower wall and preferably four side walls, placing a flat substrate directly or indirectly on the lower wall of the base part of the packaging box, placing an intermediate layer directly or indirectly on the placed flat substrate, forming a stack of flat substrates and intermediate layers therebetween by repeating the preceding two steps, and setting a cover part of the packaging box on the base part of the packaging box.