Multiple Seat Shipping Container with Folding Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shipping solutions for passenger seats lack efficiency in maximizing the number of seats per unit volume while minimizing shipping costs, as they often require multiple containers and are cumbersome to handle and stack.
Innovation Solution
A multiple seat shipping container designed to fold into a box shape configuration, featuring a bottom base structure with pivotally attached walls and a modular track system, allowing for secure attachment and suspension of seats, and equipped with rotation assistance mechanisms and fold locks to facilitate easy folding and compact storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple seats are shipped in separate containers, then each container is simple and easy to handle, but the number of seats per unit volume decreases and shipping costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into multiple levels with separate seat attachment structures. The bottom base structure holds first seats while the top wall structure holds second seats, creating segmented loading zones that maximize capacity without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs a nested configuration where the top wall structure with its seat attachment mechanisms is integrated within the overall container framework. The second seats are positioned above and nested within the vertical space defined by the container walls, optimizing volume utilization
2Ease of operation
If a rigid non-folding container is used, then seats are securely protected during shipping, but the container cannot be compacted for storage and handling becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs dynamic, movable walls that can pivot between locked and folded positions. The forward wall, rear wall, and side walls are all configured to rotate about vertical axes, transforming the container from a rigid protective structure during shipping to a compact flexible form for storage and handling
Solution Approach 2:
The container integrates multiple functions into unified structures. The walls serve both as protective barriers during shipping and as folding elements for compact storage. The seat attachment mechanisms are combined with the wall structures themselves, eliminating the need for separate rigid framing
3Productivity
If seats are tightly packed to maximize volume, then shipping efficiency increases, but access and installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The container utilizes dynamic wall structures that can pivot and rotate to open positions. The forward wall pivots about a vertical axis at its rear edge, the rear wall pivots about a vertical axis at its front edge, and side walls rotate about vertical axes, creating wide access openings that facilitate easy seat installation while maintaining tight packing during transport
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a multiple seat shipping container (100) that includes a bottom base structure (101) configured to attach one or more first seats (120), a forward wall (103) with a lower portion (103a) pivotally attached to a forward side of the bottom base structure, a top wall (104) pivotally attached to an upper portion (103b) of the forward wall, the top wall configured to attach one or more second seats (121), and a rear wall (105) attached to a rear side of the bottom base structure. The multiple seat shipping container is configured to fold into a box shape configuration such that the one or more second seats are suspended from the top wall adjacent to the one or more first seats.