Low Depth Crate with Segmented Recesses for Stable Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Full depth dairy crates consume excessive storage space when empty and are heavy due to their structural design, which is inefficient for transportation and storage.
Innovation Solution
A low depth crate design with a base and wall structure that includes recesses on the bottom surface to engage container closures, allowing for secure stacking and reduced material usage, along with a lattice strut pattern for drainage and support, and a handle configuration for easy handling and nesting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If full depth crates are used with upstanding wall structure extending full height of containers, then stacking stability is improved, but storage space consumption increases and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the upstanding wall structure from the crate design, extracting only the essential base with recesses needed for container engagement and stacking stability. This eliminates the volume-consuming walls while preserving the core functionality of stable stacking through the recess engagement mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is segmented into multiple recesses of different depths (first depth and second depth) that can engage different sizes of containers. This segmentation allows the crate to accommodate various container configurations while maintaining stability without requiring full-depth walls.
2Stability of the object's composition
If full depth crates are used with upstanding wall structure, then stacking stability is improved, but weight increases due to more plastic material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the heavy upstanding wall structure, retaining only the essential base component with recesses. This dramatically reduces the amount of plastic material required while maintaining stacking stability through the engineered recess engagement system.
3Volume of stationary object
If low depth crates are used with reduced wall height, then storage space is reduced and weight is reduced, but stacking stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating recesses with different depths (first depth and second depth) at specific locations on the base. These localized variations in depth provide targeted engagement points for different container sizes, ensuring stability at critical contact points without requiring overall increased crate height or weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is divided into multiple segmented recesses that can independently engage different containers. This segmentation allows the low-depth crate to achieve stacking stability through distributed point contacts rather than relying on continuous wall structures.
4Ease of manufacture
If low depth crates are used with reduced plastic material, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but engagement reliability of container closures with base deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent concentrates material and structural complexity locally at the recess areas where container engagement is needed. The recesses feature specific geometric configurations with different depths that provide reliable engagement for container closures, while the rest of the crate structure remains minimal and cost-effective.
Data Source
AI summary
A low depth crate for containers includes a base with a top surface and a bottom surface, and a wall structure extending upwardly around a periphery of the base. A plurality of recesses are defined in the bottom surface and arranged to engage containers loaded in a like crate therebeneath when in a stacked configuration. The plurality of recesses includes primary recesses capable of engaging at least two different sizes of containers, each primary recess having a first support region with a first depth with respect to the bottom surface and a second support region with a second depth with respect to the bottom surface, the first depth greater than the second depth. The wall structure may include four adjoined side walls each having a handle formed in a central portion of the side wall and extending upwardly above an upper rim of the side wall.