Modular Transport Container with Interlocking Bead and Groove
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport containers made from lightweight panels face issues of high waste generation, difficulty in repair, and instability due to thick materials, which increase weight and reduce the capacity for contents, while also being non-stackable and prone to water ingress.
Innovation Solution
The design features a linear edge at the lower end of the side wall with an upwardly curved channel and bead for interlocking stability, combined with metallic reinforcement and modular assembly, allowing for improved stability, reduced waste, and ease of repair and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If thick material is used to increase stability, then stability is improved, but weight increases and capacity for contents decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The transport container is divided into modular components (base, walls, lids) that can be assembled from thinner materials. The walls themselves are segmented into front and rear sections that can be reinforced selectively at critical points rather than requiring uniform thickness throughout, achieving stability with reduced overall material usage and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The container combines different materials strategically - using thicker or reinforced material only where structural stability is critical (such as corner reinforcements and base structures) while employing thinner lightweight materials for non-critical areas. This composite approach maintains stability while minimizing overall weight.
2Ease of manufacture
If one-piece construction is used to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing is easier, but waste increases and repairability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The container is constructed from separate modular components (base, front wall, rear wall, lids) rather than as a single one-piece structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reduces material waste through precise cutting and nesting, and enables replacement of only damaged parts rather than the entire container.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design enables selective replacement of damaged components while retaining intact parts. Instead of discarding the entire container when one part is damaged, individual components can be recovered and reused, significantly reducing waste and extending the overall service life of the container system.
3Ease of manufacture
If one-piece construction is used to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing is easier, but repairability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The container is constructed from separate modular components (base, front wall, rear wall, lids) rather than as a single one-piece structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reduces material waste through precise cutting and nesting, and enables replacement of only damaged parts rather than the entire container.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection elements between components are designed to be detachable and reconfigurable, allowing the container to transition between assembled and disassembled states. This dynamic design facilitates easy repair by enabling removal of damaged components and attachment of replacements without requiring specialized tools or complex procedures.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional wall design is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but stackability and load-bearing capacity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wall design incorporates asymmetric features with different thicknesses and reinforcement patterns at the front and rear walls. The rear wall includes a recessed region and specific reinforcement structures that interlock with corresponding features on stacked containers, providing enhanced stackability and load-bearing capacity while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between stacked containers utilizes a three-dimensional interlocking system involving recesses, protrusions, and angled reinforcement elements that distribute loads across multiple dimensions. This dimensional approach to stacking enhances stability and load capacity without requiring uniformly thick walls throughout the entire container structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a transport container made of lightweight panels, with a base and walls standing upright around it. To make this container more cost-effective, stable, and easier to repair, it is proposed that the walls (2, 3) have at their lower end a tab (4) extending along the edge (5) of the walls (2, 3) and angled towards the base (1), which is to be connected to the base (1), wherein there is an upwardly curved groove (6) between the angled tab (4) and the edge (5), and that the walls (2, 3) have at their upper end an upwardly curved bead (7) which has a shape corresponding to the groove (6) at the lower end of the walls (2, 3). Furthermore, such a modularly constructed transport container can be provided with a concealed frame made of metal tubes to achieve greater stability.