Movable Bottom Plate Bottle Crate with Spring Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle crates are inadequate for transporting both packed and individual bottles safely, as they either allow bottles to break when returned empty or require dividers that prevent packing different bottle quantities.
Innovation Solution
A bottle crate with a movable bottom plate having traversing holes, guided within lateral walls, which automatically adjusts positions based on weight, forming dividers for individual bottles when empty to prevent breakage and allowing various pack sizes to be transported together.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dividers are added to prevent bottle breakage during return transport, then bottle safety is improved, but the ability to transport different pack sizes is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom plate is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically change position between a lowered state (enabling pack transport) and a raised state (forming dividers for individual bottles). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing both configurations as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The crate is divided into functional zones by the movable bottom plate with traversing holes. When raised, the plate segments the crate into compartments that act as dividers for individual bottles. When lowered, these segments merge to allow flexible pack placement.
2Ease of manufacture
If a fixed bottom structure is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the ability to adapt between pack transport and individual bottle return is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom plate is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically change position between a lowered state (enabling pack transport) and a raised state (forming dividers for individual bottles). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing both configurations as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable bottom plate serves multiple functions: it forms dividers when raised for individual bottle protection, and becomes a flat surface when lowered for pack transport. This multi-functionality allows a single crate design to handle both return and delivery scenarios.
3Reliability
If the bottom plate is kept in the high position to form dividers, then bottle protection is improved, but pack transport capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom plate is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically change position between a lowered state (enabling pack transport) and a raised state (forming dividers for individual bottles). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing both configurations as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom plate alternates between two positions depending on the operational phase: raised during individual bottle return transport for protection, and lowered during pack delivery for efficiency. This periodic switching optimizes performance for each specific task.
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
Enables safe transportation of both packed and individual bottles by ensuring dividers are present only when empty bottles are returned, preventing breakage and accommodating different pack sizes within the same crate.
Implementation Method 1
spring means arranged to be compressed in the first position and to automatically bring back the bottom plate to its second position in the absence of a sufficient predetermined weight on said bottom plate
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention concerns a bottle crate (1, 21) comprising a bottom wall (2, 22) and lateral walls (3, 4 ; 23, 24) and a method for producing such bottle crate. The bottle crate comprises a separate internal bottom plate (26) having traversing holes (6), movable and guided within the lateral walls 4 between a first position for packs of bottles wherein the bottom plate is in a low position close to or in contact with the bottom wall and a second position for separate bottles wherein the bottom plate (26) is in an upright high position to form with its holes (6) dividers for the bottles. The bottle crate also comprises spring means arranged to be compressed in the first position and to automatically bring back the bottom plate (26) in its upright second position in the absence of a sufficient predetermined weight on the bottom plate.