Interlocking Plywood Container Panels for Fast Tool-Free Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plywood container designs require significant time for assembly and disassembly due to the use of additional structural elements like screws and wood studs, leading to inefficiencies in production and storage of assembly components.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates plywood sheets with complementary notched portions and un-notched portions, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly without the need for additional fasteners, utilizing a thickness of at least ½ to 1 inch, preferably ¾ inch, and laser-cut arcuate transitions for enhanced strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If additional structural elements like screws and wood studs are used to fasten plywood sheets, then the structural integrity and strength of the container is improved, but the assembly and disassembly time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the additional structural elements (screws and wood studs) from the container design, extracting only the essential plywood sheets that form the container structure. This eliminates the need for complex fastening mechanisms while maintaining structural integrity through the plywood sheets themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the structural support function and the container body into a single integrated plywood sheet structure. The plywood sheets are designed to provide both the container walls and the structural strength, eliminating the need for separate fastening elements.
2Strength
If additional structural elements like screws and wood studs are used to fasten plywood sheets, then the structural integrity of the container is improved, but the device complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex assembly components (screws, wood studs, and other fastening elements) from the design, leaving only the essential plywood sheets. This simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining the necessary structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plywood sheets are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: they form the container walls, provide structural strength, and serve as the fastening mechanism through their interlocking design. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized components.
3Strength
If plywood sheets are made thicker to enhance strength and protection, then the structural integrity and protection capability is improved, but the weight and material cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thickness parameter of the plywood sheets to achieve the desired strength and protection capability while minimizing weight. By carefully selecting and adjusting the thickness parameter, the design balances structural requirements with weight considerations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the natural composite structure of plywood itself, which combines multiple layers of wood veneer glued together at different angles. This composite material structure provides high strength-to-weight ratio, delivering excellent protection capability without excessive weight increase.
Data Source
AI summary
A plywood container which includes a plurality of plywood sheets have peripheral edges formed with a laser cut notch to interconnect and enable quick assembly and disassembly. The plywood container peripheral edges include a plurality of notched surfaces and unnotched surfaces which interconnect to form the container and ease assembly and disassembly.