HDPE Container Indent Design for Top Load Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HDPE containers face a challenge in reducing material usage without compromising strength and performance, as thinner walls often result in logarithmic deterioration of top load capacity.
Innovation Solution
The development of an HDPE container with a reduced average wall thickness of 0.018 inches, featuring optimized wall distribution with indents arranged in specific configurations to enhance strength, including rectangular and oblong indents, which form ribs between columns, providing improved top load performance without compromising weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If wall thickness is decreased to reduce material usage, then material cost is reduced, but top load strength deteriorates logarithmically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying wall thickness non-uniformly - thinner walls (0.018 inches) are used in non-critical areas to reduce material usage, while thicker walls are strategically positioned at the bottom and at stress concentration points to maintain top load strength. This localized variation resolves the contradiction by reducing overall material quantity while preserving strength where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes curvature principles by incorporating curved reinforcement ribs and rounded transition zones that distribute stress more effectively than sharp corners. The curved geometry at the bottom and along the walls provides structural reinforcement with minimal additional material, allowing thinner overall walls while maintaining top load capacity.
2Weight of moving object
If wall thickness is reduced to lower container weight, then manufacturing cost decreases, but structural performance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the container wall into multiple functional zones with different thickness requirements. The bottom portion has greater thickness for load bearing, while the upper walls can be thinner. This segmentation allows weight reduction in non-critical areas while maintaining structural performance in load-bearing zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining HDPE material with integrated reinforcement ribs and varying wall thickness profiles. This composite approach optimizes the distribution of material to provide maximum structural performance for minimum weight, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and structural reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A container is provided that includes a top portion, a bottom portion and a plurality of sidewalls that each extend from an upper limit of the bottom portion, the top portion extending from upper limits of each of the side walls such that the sidewalls are positioned between the top portion and the bottom portion. The container comprises a plurality of indents therein, the indents being arranged in a configuration to avoid top load failure. That is, the indents provide strength to the container, which makes the container stronger than containers that are made from the same material, have the same weight and the same average wall thickness, but do not include indents.