Interlocking Modular Containers for Reuse and Load-Bearing Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The environmental and economic issues caused by the disposal of plastic bottles, particularly PET plastic, are exacerbated by their limited reuse and high waste generation, leading to increased landfill waste and ocean pollution, necessitating innovative solutions for recycling and secondary uses.
Innovation Solution
Development of scalable, modular, and interlocking containers that can be used for storing and transporting liquids, serving as building materials, and recycling into construction materials, thereby promoting reuse and reducing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastic bottles are designed for single-use disposal, then manufacturing and distribution are simple and cost-effective, but environmental waste accumulation and degradation increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms single-use plastic bottles into multi-functional interlocking containers that serve multiple purposes: storage, construction material, and modular building blocks. The containers can be stacked, interlocked laterally and vertically, and used to construct shelters and structures, thereby extending their utility beyond disposal and reducing environmental waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention modifies the physical and structural parameters of plastic bottles by adding interlocking features (lugs, grooves, channels) that enable lateral and vertical connectivity. This transforms the bottle from a disposable container into a reusable modular unit suitable for construction and storage applications.
2Loss of substance
If plastic bottles are reused for storage and transport, then recycling rates increase and waste reduces, but the containers require additional structural features for interlocking and stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of storage, transport, and interlocking into a single container design. The interlocking features (lugs, grooves, channels) are integrated directly into the container walls, merging the structural reinforcement needed for stacking with the connectivity features for modular assembly, thereby avoiding excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed as a modular unit with standardized interlocking interfaces that can be segmented and reconfigured. The lateral and vertical connectivity features allow containers to be divided into modular sections that can be assembled into various configurations for storage or construction, making the added structural complexity manageable and adaptable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If containers are designed with lateral interlocking features for modular assembly, then adaptability and versatility increase, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking features are designed to provide multiple functions: lateral connectivity for modular assembly, vertical stacking capability, and structural reinforcement. The same lugs, grooves, and channels that enable lateral interlocking also provide structural strength and stacking stability, thereby achieving versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design integrates multiple material properties and structural features into a unified plastic construction. The interlocking features are molded as integral parts of the container, combining the structural reinforcement needed for interlocking with the container wall itself, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying manufacturing.
4Loss of substance
If interlocking containers are used for construction and shelter building, then secondary use value increases and waste reduces, but the containers must withstand greater structural loads and stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural reinforcement needed for load-bearing with the interlocking features. The lugs, grooves, and channels are integrated into the container walls in such a way that they provide both connectivity for modular assembly and structural strength for withstanding loads during construction and shelter applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design uses the plastic material and molded structure to create a composite-like system where the interlocking features and container wall work together as an integrated structural unit. This allows the container to withstand greater structural loads while maintaining the interlocking capability for modular construction.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are devices and containers that are scalable, modular, and lockable laterally and vertically with other like containers for a variety of applications. A container is formed by a wall attached at first end to a top end section with an opening and attached at a second end by a bottom end section. A container may have one or more of a tongue, formed on the wall, having and interconnecting mechanism to be received and interlocked by a groove. Vertical interconnectivity is accomplished with mechanisms to stack containers and prevent swivel using a ridge and channel interlocking arrangement.