Nested Door Skin Stacking for Shipping Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional solid wood doors have become expensive due to raw material costs, and existing alternatives, such as door assemblies with cellulosic composite door skins, face challenges in replicating the appearance and structural integrity of solid wood doors.
Innovation Solution
The development of a door skin stack comprising multiple door skins with identical profiles, each featuring an inner panel, an outer body portion, and a contoured portion with specific indent and tapering areas, allowing for efficient stacking and shipping while maintaining a wood grain appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional solid wood doors are used, then the appearance and structural integrity are maintained, but the raw material costs become expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials consisting of cellulosic fibers (such as wood fibers) bonded with resin to create door skins that replicate the appearance and structural properties of solid wood. This composite approach allows achieving wood-like aesthetics and strength while using less expensive, more abundant materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different properties to different regions of the door skin. The front surface is designed with wood grain patterns and textures to mimic solid wood appearance, while the core structure uses engineered composite materials for strength. This local differentiation allows the door to achieve both aesthetic and structural requirements without using expensive solid wood throughout.
2Shape
If door skins are made with complex profiles to maintain appearance quality, then the visual appeal is improved, but the shipping and handling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs door skins with nested contours and recesses that allow multiple door skins to be stacked and nested within each other during shipping. The contoured portions with recesses enable one door skin to fit into the profile of another, maximizing space utilization in shipping containers while maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the door skins.
Data Source
AI summary
A plurality of stacked door skins is provided, the plurality including at least first and second door skins each including at least one inner panel, an outer body portion surrounding the at least one inner panel, and at least one contoured portion surrounding the at least one panel and interconnecting the at least one panel to the outer body portion. The at least one contoured portion includes a substantially V-shaped indent area adjacent to and within the outer body portion, a planar area that is substantially parallel to the outer body portion and is adjacent to and within the substantially V-shaped indent area, and a declining area adjacent to and within the planar area and terminating at the inner panel.