Corner connector and container and transport system comprising the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport, storage, and display containers lack customization and aesthetic appeal, failing to provide both secure protection and attractive display capabilities, especially during transportation and storage, and are often cumbersome and unappealing.
Innovation Solution
A corner connector system that allows containers to be easily converted between stacked transport/storage and display configurations, using magnets for secure interconnection and orientation, enabling flexible use and secure display while maintaining protection during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If containers are designed for secure protection during transport, then protection capability is improved, but aesthetic appeal and display capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The container system is divided into separate functional modules: protective corner connectors with reinforcement features for security, and aesthetic sidewalls with display surfaces. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while the assembled container provides both protection and appeal.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed with multi-functionality to serve both transport protection and display purposes. The corner connectors provide structural strength and protection, while the sidewalls offer aesthetic appeal and display surfaces, allowing a single container to fulfill multiple functions without requiring separate dedicated containers.
2Stability of the object's composition
If containers are designed with fixed orientation, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability for different display and transport configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container corners are designed with dynamic reconfigurability through specialized corner connectors that allow the container to be reoriented and reconfigured between different stable states. The connectors maintain structural stability in each configuration while enabling transitions between transport mode (stacked vertically) and display mode (arranged horizontally or at angles).
3Ease of manufacture
If containers are designed as integrated units, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but ease of conversion between configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into corner connectors and sidewall panels that can be independently manufactured using standardized processes, then quickly assembled through simple insertion or fastening mechanisms. This segmentation enables easy conversion between configurations by simply repositioning the modular components without requiring complex disassembly or specialized tools.
4Reliability
If containers are designed for secure stacking, then transport security is improved, but display capability and aesthetic appeal deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The corner connectors incorporate dynamic features that enable the container to switch between stacking configurations for secure transport and display configurations for presentation. During transport, the connectors engage in interlocking positions to provide secure stacking; during display, the same connectors allow flexible arrangement while maintaining structural integrity and security.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a versatile, secure, and aesthetically appealing solution for transporting, storing, and displaying goods, allowing for customizable orientations and secure stacking, enhancing protection and presentation capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
When two containers are in a stacked arrangement, the magnets are located to provide magnetic interaction between a magnet on the bottom wall of a corner connector of an upper container with a magnet on the top wall of a corner connector of a lower container
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a corner connector for use in forming transport, storage and display containers and a transport, storage and display container system of stacking compartments that can be interconnected and formed into multiple orientations according to the user's needs.