Nestable Container Lid Arrangement for Reduced Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Empty containers with pivotable lids occupy excessive space when nested due to the lids extending outward in their open position, making efficient shipping and storage challenging.
Innovation Solution
Designing a container arrangement where the lid of one container can be aligned and nested within another, with the lid arrangement pivotable to an open position that minimizes the footprint by extending vertically downward, allowing for efficient stacking and reduced space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If containers are nested with lids in open position, then containers can be shipped efficiently, but the footprint occupies large space because lids extend outwardly
Solution Approach 1:
The lid arrangement is designed to rotate from a horizontal open position to a vertical position, utilizing the vertical dimension to eliminate the outward extension that creates footprint. This dimensional transformation allows lids to be stacked vertically within the container profile rather than extending horizontally, resolving the contradiction between nesting capability and space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid arrangement incorporates a hinge mechanism that enables dynamic repositioning between open and closed states. The lid can be rotated to align with the container wall, allowing it to be stored in a compact vertical orientation during shipping while maintaining accessibility when needed, thus optimizing both shipping efficiency and space utilization.
2Area of stationary object
If lid arrangement is made pivotable to minimize footprint, then space consumption is reduced, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid arrangement is designed to nest within the container profile when in the vertical position, with the lid itself containing structures that allow it to be received within the container body. This nesting approach minimizes the footprint while the hinge mechanism, though present, is integrated into the existing container structure rather than adding external complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A container (10) comprises a base (12), upstanding walls (14) on the base and a lid arrangement (16) pivotally attacked to at least one of the walls at a hinge (17). The lid arrangement is pivotally moveable about the hinge from an open position to a closed position. When the lid arrangement (16) is in the open position, the container (10) can be nested within a similar further container having a similar further lid arrangement, and the lid arrangement (16) can be received within the further lid arrangement in a nested condition of the lid arrangements.