Knockdown containers and displays with optional lighting features
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current display and container solutions are heavy, costly, and prone to damage during shipping and handling, with limited design flexibility and material combinations, and lack efficient assembly and disassembly mechanisms, making them unsuitable for diverse applications and aesthetic requirements.
Innovation Solution
A knockdown container system comprising sheet elements and edge elements with sliding joints, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and enabling the use of various materials and designs, including polyhedron shapes with interchangeable faces, and integrated lighting features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass is used as the main sheet material for display structures, then transparency and quality characteristics are improved, but weight and shipping cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The display structure is divided into multiple sheet elements that can be separately assembled and disassembled. This segmentation allows the use of lighter materials while maintaining overall structural integrity and transparency requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional glass to alternative sheet materials that can provide similar optical properties with reduced weight. This includes using materials with different density characteristics while maintaining transparency and quality standards.
2Reliability
If glass display structures are used, then transparency is improved, but susceptibility to damage and breakage during shipping and handling increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the display into separate sheet elements connected by edge elements, the structure becomes more resilient to damage. Individual sheets can be replaced if damaged, and the modular design reduces stress concentration that leads to breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs sheet elements that can be easily replaced if damaged, treating them as consumable components rather than permanent fixtures. This approach reduces the risk of total structure failure and lowers shipping insurance costs.
3Strength
If display structures are made from traditional materials, then structural strength is maintained, but ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display is segmented into sheet elements and edge elements that connect through simple joints. This segmentation enables quick assembly and disassembly while maintaining structural strength through the distributed connection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the connection parameter from permanent bonding to reversible mechanical joints. This allows the structure to be assembled and disassembled repeatedly without compromising structural integrity, enabling knockdown functionality.
4Reliability
If Acrylic displays are used, then cost is reduced compared to glass, but design variation choices and material options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting the display into separate sheet elements allows mixing different materials and designs in different sections. Each sheet can be made from different materials or have different designs, providing versatility while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The edge element design serves multiple functions: structural connection, material interface, and design customization. This universal component enables various sheet materials and designs to be integrated into a cohesive structure.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If Acrylic structures are filled internally with foam to prevent damage, then protection during shipping is improved, but shipping cost and space utilization worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design allows sheets to be nested or stacked efficiently during shipping without requiring bulky internal foam fillers. The modular structure naturally protects individual elements while optimizing space utilization.
6Stability of the object's composition
If displays are made with fixed display elements, then structural stability is improved, but ability to disassemble or change elements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display is segmented into stable yet separable components. The edge elements provide stable connections during use, but the modular design allows easy disassembly and reconfiguration when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system transitions from static permanent bonds to dynamic reversible joints. This allows the structure to be stable during operation but adaptable when disassembly is required, enabling element replacement and reconfiguration.
7Shape
If all faces of a container are made from the same transparent material, then aesthetic consistency is improved, but cost and weight increase when wall placement is considered
Solution Approach 1:
Different sheet elements can have different material properties based on their location and function. Faces visible from multiple angles use transparent materials, while wall-facing surfaces can use lighter or more economical materials, optimizing both aesthetics and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter selectively across different faces of the container. This allows transparent materials to be used only where visually required, reducing overall weight and cost while maintaining aesthetic consistency from viewing angles.
Data Source
AI summary
A knockdown container or display in the shape of a 3-dimensional container is provide which comprises of two main element types, namely Sheet elements and Edge elements. In this design, all of the main elements of the container are joined one to another by sliding with respect to each other in a sequence that make an open or closed display or container that can easily assembled or disassembled. In particular, the edges of the Sheet elements have a shape that is fitted into matching slots of the Edge elements. The position and orientation of elements are such that they securely restrict unwanted movement of the elements with respect to one another, while minimizing the number of needed fasteners or number of additional restricting components needed to secure the Edge elements.