Hinged Flap Slide Container for Expanded Display Surface

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Solution Overview

Problem

Packaging for smoking articles has limited visible surface area for displaying information, making it difficult to convey supplementary brand, advertising, or promotional content effectively.

Innovation Solution

A slide and shell container design featuring a hinged flap that pivots outward when the inner slide is opened, exposing additional surface areas on the flap and outer shell for graphics and text, increasing the available display space without altering the container's external appearance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If additional panels are included on packs of smoking articles to increase surface area for displaying graphics and text, then the amount of information that may be communicated to a consumer is increased, but the container size and external appearance are altered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation display capabilityVSAvoidcontainer external appearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The flap is designed to be movable between a first position (flush with the outer shell) and a second position (pivoted outward). This dynamic configuration allows the container to maintain its conventional appearance when closed while providing additional display surface area when opened, resolving the contradiction between information display capability and external appearance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The flap utilizes the third dimension by pivoting outward from the plane of the outer shell. This creates additional display surface area in a spatial dimension rather than expanding the container's footprint, allowing increased information display without altering the container's external dimensions or basic shape

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If a hinged flap is added to increase display surface area, then the surface area for displaying consumer information is increased, but the device complexity is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation display surface areaVSAvoidcontainer structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flap is integrated with the inner slide as a single unit, and the hinge mechanism is incorporated into the existing slide-and-shell structure. This merging of components adds the display functionality without requiring entirely separate mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The flap serves multiple functions: it provides additional display surface area, it assists in the opening mechanism by pivoting outward, and it can be part of the overall structural integrity of the container. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing multiple benefits from a single component

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design enhances the surface area for displaying consumer information, allowing for more effective communication of brand and promotional content while maintaining the container's conventional size and functionality.

Implementation Method 1

a hinged flap connected to the inner slide. The hinged flap protrudes through the aperture in the first wall of the outer shell. The hinged flap is pivotable from a first position in which the flap rests against the first wall of the outer shell to a second position in which the flap is hinged outwardly from the first wall of the outer shell

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHinge mechanism: Hinge

Data Source

PatentEP2373547B1Slide and shell container with hinged flap
Publication Date: 2014.03.26 PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS SA
  • EP2373547B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2373547B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2373547B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A slide and shell container comprises an outer shell (2) having a first wall (8) with an aperture (18) provided therein; an inner slide (4) slidable within the outer shell (2) between a closed position in which the interior of the inner slide (4) is inaccessible and an open position in which the interior of the inner slide (4) is accessible; and a hinged flap (48) connected to the inner slide (4) that protrudes through the aperture (18) in the first wall (8) of the outer shell (2). The hinged flap (48) is pivotable between a first position in which the flap (48) rests against the first wall (8) of the outer shell (2) and a second position in which the flap (48) is hinged outwardly from the first wall (8) of the outer shell (2) upon slidable movement of the inner slide (4) between the closed position and the open position.