Hollow Ribs for Packaging Stiffness via Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing hollow ribs in packaging, such as hinged-lid chocolate boxes, result in irregularly shaped ribs that are structurally acceptable but unacceptable in terms of appearance, and require excessive material usage due to thick lids for stiffness.
Innovation Solution
A packing method and unit that forms hollow peripheral ribs with a triangular cross section using a folding process involving a flat cardboard blank, where the ribs are prefolded and glued to create a rigid, lightweight structure that is aesthetically pleasing and efficient in material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the lid is made thick to ensure sufficient stiffness, then the structural strength is improved, but the material usage increases and waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is segmented into a flat panel and separate hollow peripheral ribs. The ribs are formed by folding and gluing portions of the blank to create box-shaped structures along the three free edges of the lid. This segmentation allows the ribs to provide structural reinforcement while using minimal material, resolving the contradiction between stiffness and material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat lid to a three-dimensional structure by adding hollow peripheral ribs with box-shaped cross-sections. This dimensional change provides considerable stiffness using very little packing material, as the hollow box structure efficiently resists bending while minimizing material consumption.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional packing machines are used to fold the rigid blank, then the production process is simple, but the ribs become irregularly shaped and aesthetically unacceptable
Solution Approach 1:
A specifically designed folding unit is introduced as an intermediary device between the conventional packing machine and the blank. This unit includes a folding blade that engages the blank at a precise folding line and applies force to fold the portions forming the hollow ribs. The folding blade acts as a mediator to achieve regular, aesthetically acceptable rib shapes while maintaining integration with the existing packing machine.
3Area of stationary object
If the lid area is increased to accommodate chocolates in one layer, then the visibility and accessibility of chocolates is improved, but the lid becomes large and requires excessive material for stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is divided into a large-area flat panel for visibility and separate hollow peripheral ribs for structural support. This segmentation allows the lid to maintain a large area for displaying chocolates while the ribs provide the necessary stiffness using minimal material, resolving the contradiction between large area and material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid combines a flat panel structure with hollow box-shaped ribs to create a composite structure. The flat panel provides large area for chocolate visibility, while the hollow ribs provide structural reinforcement. This composite approach achieves both large area and material efficiency by using the flat panel for its visual function and the ribs for their structural function.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A packing method and unit (26) for producing a rigid package (1) with a hollow rib (12; 13); an end portion of a blank (21) is folded about a contrasting body (36; 39) onto a panel (11') of the blank (21) to form the hollow rib (12; 13); a fastening tab (16; 19), which forms the end part of the end portion, is glued to the panel (11') to stabilize the hollow rib (12; 13); and the contrasting body (36; 39) is extracted from the hollow rib (12; 13) once the end portion is folded.