Narrowed Waist Product Container for Gloved Grip and Label Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional container designs, especially round bottles and rectilinear boxes, pose challenges in gripping and product labeling, particularly when filled or stored in close proximity, leading to difficulties in handling and potential damage to labels.

Innovation Solution

A product container with a narrowed waist portion defined by discrete planar facets, allowing for enhanced gripping and clearance between containers, while also providing a surface for labeling and a bottom surface depression for finger stabilization, eliminating the need for separate handles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If separate handles are added to the container exterior, then gripping ease is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegripping easeVSAvoidcontainer structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The handle function is merged with the container body by forming an integrated recessed portion that extends into the container walls. This eliminates separate handle components while providing the same gripping function, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Material is extracted or removed to form the recessed handle portion within the container structure. This creates a negative space that functions as a handle without adding external components, simplifying the overall device while improving gripping capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If separate handles are added to the container exterior, then gripping ease is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegripping easeVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The handle function is merged with the container body by forming an integrated recessed portion that extends into the container walls. This eliminates separate handle components while providing the same gripping function, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Material is extracted or removed to form the recessed handle portion within the container structure. This creates a negative space that functions as a handle without adding external components, simplifying the overall device while improving gripping capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Area of stationary object

If containers are placed in close abutting relation on shelves, then space efficiency is improved, but gripping difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshelf space utilizationVSAvoidgripping difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Material is extracted or removed to form the recessed handle portion within the container structure. This creates a negative space that functions as a handle without adding external components, simplifying the overall device while improving gripping capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The container body has different local properties: the recessed handle portion provides enhanced gripping surface area and finger accommodation, while the rest of the container maintains a compact form factor for efficient shelf stacking. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between space efficiency and gripping ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Area of stationary object

If containers are placed in close abutting relation on shelves, then space efficiency is improved, but label damage risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshelf space utilizationVSAvoidlabel damage from rubbing
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The container body has different local properties: the recessed handle portion provides enhanced gripping surface area and finger accommodation, while the rest of the container maintains a compact form factor for efficient shelf stacking. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between space efficiency and gripping ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9327872B2Product container having narrowed waist portion
Publication Date: 2016.05.03 FISHER SCI CO LLC
  • US9327872B2 patent drawing
  • US9327872B2 patent drawing
  • US9327872B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A product container includes a top portion defining an opening, a bottom portion defining a base, and a central portion including a plurality of sidewalls extending between the top and bottom portions. Three of the sidewalls include discrete planar facets that collectively define a narrowed waist portion, at which the product container has smaller dimensions or a smaller cross sectional area compared to the top portion and the bottom portion. The narrowed waist portion is configured to be gripped by a user for lifting the product container (even when wearing gloves), and a flat product label may also be placed on the product container at the narrowed waist portion. The narrowed waist portion provides a natural gripping location as well as clearance between abutting product containers when multiple abutting product containers are located on a shelf.