Modular Insulated Box Assembly for Compact Temperature Shipping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Packaging for temperature-sensitive contents faces challenges such as spoilage, destabilization, freezing, or melting during storage or shipping due to temperature fluctuations, and existing insulated packages are often bulky, specialized, and non-recyclable, leading to inefficiencies and environmental issues.
Innovation Solution
A modular box assembly with a design that includes a box with a top and bottom end, side panels, and an inner box that divides the cavity into sub-compartments, using insulated panels with encapsulated insulation batts and a support bracket system to maintain temperature and facilitate easy assembly and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional insulated packages are used to maintain temperature for sensitive goods, then temperature stability is improved, but the packages become bulky and difficult to store
Solution Approach 1:
The box is divided into multiple compartments using partition walls, allowing separate temperature zones for different goods within a compact overall structure. This enables temperature stability for multiple items without requiring separate bulky packages for each.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls are designed to be nested or foldable structures that can be collapsed when not in use, reducing the storage volume of the insulated package while maintaining temperature stability during transport.
2Reliability
If specialized insulated packages are used for different temperature requirements (hot, chilled, frozen), then temperature control reliability is improved, but device complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The box is designed with removable and reconfigurable partition walls that can create different temperature zones, allowing a single package design to serve multiple temperature control needs (hot, chilled, frozen) without requiring separate specialized packages for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls are designed to be movable and adjustable, allowing the box configuration to be dynamically changed to suit different temperature control requirements, transforming a static single-purpose package into a dynamic multi-purpose system.
3Temperature
If traditional insulated packages are used, then temperature maintenance is achieved, but the packages cannot be recycled and are disposed of in landfills
Solution Approach 1:
The box and partition walls are constructed from recyclable materials that can be recovered and reused after the insulated package has served its purpose, eliminating the environmental waste problem associated with traditional disposable insulated packages while maintaining temperature control functionality.
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 modular box assembly effectively maintains temperature for sensitive goods, reduces waste by being recyclable, and allows for versatile use in shipping hot, chilled, or frozen items, addressing the inefficiencies of traditional packaging methods.
Implementation Method 1
a first liner positioned within the box cavity, the first liner comprising a first sheet, a second sheet, and an insulation batt, the insulation batt being encapsulated between the first sheet and the second sheet
Implementation Method 2
the channel tab frictionally engaging the first sub-shoulder and the second sub-shoulder to secure the support bracket within the shoulder channel
Data Source
AI summary
A modular box assembly includes a box, the box defining a top end and a bottom end disposed opposite from the top end, the box including a plurality of side panels extending between the top end and the bottom end, the plurality of side panels at least partially defining a box cavity within the box; and an inner box positioned within the box cavity, the inner box dividing the box cavity into a first sub-compartment and a second sub-compartment, the inner box including a channel tab extending outward from a side panel of the inner box, the channel tab engaging a first side panel of the plurality of side panels of the box.