Moulding Groove Design for Stable Container Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage containers are not efficiently stackable, especially when partially or completely filled, leading to instability during transportation and storage.
Innovation Solution
A molded part with a groove design that surrounds the side walls of storage containers, allowing for secure stacking by guiding and gripping the container walls, and optionally featuring a wedge-shaped cross-section or recessed areas for centering and fixing multiple containers, along with a design that can replace traditional pallets and provide moisture protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional pallets are used for transporting storage containers, then containers can be transported, but stable stacking of multiple filled containers is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The molded part is divided into functional zones: grooves for lateral guidance of container walls, recesses for longitudinal positioning, and support surfaces for stacking. This segmentation allows each zone to address specific stability requirements independently, achieving overall stacking stability without complex additional fixing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded part acts as an intermediary element between containers during transportation. It provides the necessary geometric constraints through its groove and recess structures, mediating the interaction between containers to prevent lateral and longitudinal displacement, thereby achieving stable stacking of filled containers.
2Productivity
If containers are grouped tightly for transportation, then space efficiency improves, but containers may slip sideways
Solution Approach 1:
The molded part implements local quality through its groove structures that provide lateral guidance specifically where container walls contact the molded part. This localized geometric constraint prevents sideways slippage at critical contact points while maintaining overall tight grouping for transportation efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If molded parts with groove designs are used to fix containers, then lateral stability improves, but production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses parameter changes in the molded part geometry - specifically groove depth, width, and positioning - to achieve effective container fixation. These geometric parameters are optimized to provide sufficient lateral stability while remaining manufacturable through standard injection molding processes, balancing fixation effectiveness with production ease.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a moulding (1) for accommodating and fixing rectangular-outline storage containers (2), wherein an accommodating surface (3) of the moulding (1) covers an even-numbered multiple of the area covered by the container surface, and in each case two containers (2) are arranged adjacent to one another such that their facing side walls are located symmetrically in relation to the short centre longitudinal axis of the moulding (1), characterized in that the underside of the moulding, the underside being directed away from the accommodating surface (3), is provided, along the course of the centre longitudinal axis, with an encompassing groove (7) which brings together the facing side walls of in each case two adjacent storage containers arranged beneath the moulding and of which the side peripheries extend into the respective container (2).