Interlocking Packaging Sub-Members for Stable Buffer Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional packaging members formed from a single sheet material face issues with positional shifting and buffer effectiveness due to the lack of structural features that stabilize the sub-members.
Innovation Solution
A packaging member design comprising a first tube-shaped sub-member with a housing region and a second U-shaped sub-member, featuring concavities and convexities that interlock to prevent shifting and ensure proper alignment, thereby enhancing buffer performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single sheet material is bent into a three-dimensional shape to form a packaging member, then the packaging member can be manufactured with simple structure and process, but positional shifting occurs between sub-members resulting in poor buffer effect
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging member is divided into multiple sub-members (first packaging sub-member and second packaging sub-member) that are inserted into each other. This segmentation allows each sub-member to independently provide buffering while the interlocking structure prevents positional shifting, resolving the contradiction between simple manufacturing and reliable buffer effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The first packaging sub-member is inserted into the second packaging sub-member, creating a nested structure. This nesting design enables multiple layers of buffering while the concavity-convexity interlocking mechanism ensures proper alignment and prevents positional shifting, maintaining both manufacturing simplicity and buffer reliability.
2Device complexity
If conventional packaging members are formed from a single sheet material without interlocking features, then the structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but positional shifting occurs reducing buffer effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The concavity is formed at a specific location (upper edge of the second packaging sub-member) rather than distributing complexity throughout the entire structure. This localized feature adds minimal structural complexity while effectively preventing positional shifting, thereby maintaining buffer reliability without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The concavity and convexity features create an asymmetric interlocking structure that naturally prevents positional shifting in multiple directions. This asymmetric design provides reliable buffer effect by ensuring proper alignment, while the features remain simple enough to maintain low overall structural complexity.
3Reliability
If multiple packaging sub-members are used to improve buffer effect, then buffering performance increases, but positional shifting occurs between sub-members reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The concavity is pre-formed in the second packaging sub-member and the convexity is pre-formed in the first packaging sub-member before assembly. This preliminary action ensures that when the sub-members are inserted, they automatically align correctly without shifting, thereby maintaining both buffer effect reliability and positional stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The convexity acts as an intermediary element that fits into the concavity, mediating the connection between the two packaging sub-members. This intermediary feature ensures stable positioning while allowing the sub-members to maintain their buffering function, resolving the contradiction between buffer effect and positional stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A packaging member (1) includes a first packaging sub-member (10) and a second packaging sub-member (20). The first packaging sub-member (10) is formed in a tube shape extending in a first direction (D1) and internally includes a housing region (S1) for housing an article to be packaged. The second packaging sub-member (20) is formed in a U-shape when viewed from the first direction (D1) and internally includes a housing region (S2) for housing the first packaging sub-member (10). The second packaging sub-member (20) includes a pair of side wall portions (22) that is arranged to be opposed to each other in a second direction (D2) orthogonal to the first direction (D1) and a concavity (24, 25, 28) that is formed at an upper edge of each of the pair of side wall portions (22) and is recessed downward. The first packaging sub-member (10) includes a convexity (14, 15, 18) that is arranged to be opposed to the concavity (24, 25, 28) and is inserted into the concavity (24, 25, 28).