Modular Glass Panel Container with Steel-Reinforced Paper Troughs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for transporting flat glass panels are excessively heavy, difficult to assemble, and require significant storage space due to their wooden construction, and incur additional costs for sanitary treatment when exported.
Innovation Solution
An industrial container with a structural framework of modular U-shaped troughs made of laminated paper or suitable materials, coated with steel plates, featuring internal rubber supports and steel cable attachments for lifting, reducing weight and allowing easy assembly and disassembly for efficient logistics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If wooden containers are used for transporting glass panels, then the structure provides sufficient strength and protection, but the container becomes excessively heavy and difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining aluminum profiles (metal) with wooden elements strategically. The aluminum structure provides the primary load-bearing framework with high strength-to-weight ratio, while wooden elements are used only where specifically needed for cushioning and protection, eliminating the need for heavy solid wood construction throughout the entire container.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by using different materials in different locations based on functional requirements. Aluminum is used for the structural framework where strength and light weight are critical, while wood is applied locally at specific points for cushioning and protection of glass panels, optimizing both weight and protective functionality.
2Device complexity
If traditional wooden containers are used, then the structure is simple, but assembly becomes slow and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the container into modular components: aluminum profiles, wooden elements, connecting pieces, and fastening elements. These standardized segments can be pre-fabricated and then quickly assembled together using simple connection mechanisms, significantly improving assembly speed while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality through standardized aluminum profiles and connecting pieces that can be used across different container configurations. The modular design allows the same basic components to serve multiple functions and be reused in various assembly contexts, reducing the variety of unique parts needed and streamlining the assembly process.
3Strength
If wooden containers are used, then the structure is robust, but storage space requirements increase due to inability to disassemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by designing the container as a disassemblable structure with modular aluminum profiles, wooden elements, and connection pieces that can be separated into compact components. This allows the robust structure to be broken down into smaller segments for efficient storage and transportation when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by creating a container structure that transitions from a fixed robust form during use to a disassembled compact form for storage. The connection pieces and fastening elements enable the structure to be dynamically reconfigured between assembled and disassembled states, optimizing both structural robustness and storage efficiency.
4Reliability
If treated wood is used for container construction, then the structure is durable, but additional sanitary treatment costs are incurred for export
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing wood from the primary structural framework and retaining it only for specific protective and cushioning functions where its properties are most valuable. This reduces the total volume of wood requiring sanitary treatment while maintaining the durability needed for structural applications through aluminum.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements composite materials by combining aluminum (which requires no sanitary treatment) with treated wood in a way that minimizes the wood content. The aluminum structure provides the majority of the durability and structural integrity, while minimal wood is used only where its specific properties are irreplaceable, thereby reducing sanitary treatment requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A container to be used as an evelope to protect the perimeter of the block formed by multiple panels packaged into the container, for example flat glass panels or panels of other materials to be transported in the vertical position; the container comprises a framework formed by a set of modular troughs, including an upper trough, a lower trough and a pair of identical side troughs, which are essentially composed of longitudinal profiles with a U-shaped cross-section and a narrow width for receiving a multiple panels; these profiles are made of laminated paper or another suitable material, the profiles of the upper trough and lower trough comprising reinforcement zones for binding by means of strips, the reinforcement zones being formed by the juxtaposition of pairs of steel plates on the flat surface of the longitudinal profiles, while the longitudinal profiles of each side trough also receive a protection cover that has a U-shaped cross-section and is made of steel; the flat inside surface of the profiles of the modular troughs receives internal supports for accommodating and protecting the peripheral edges of the multiple panels packaged inside the framework.