Nested Dunnage Panel With Opening For Compact Part Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dunnage arrangements for storing and transporting parts often result in suboptimal packing densities due to the lack of efficient nesting mechanisms, leading to inefficient use of container space.
Innovation Solution
A nested dunnage arrangement featuring panels with openings and part retaining structures that allow parts with concave and convex surfaces to nest securely, preventing contact between convex surfaces and ensuring maximum packing density through engagement of nesting keys and gibs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional dunnage arrangements use separate compartments or rows with dunnage material to isolate parts, then parts are protected from contact, but packing density is reduced due to wasted container space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by allowing parts to be inserted into cavities of other parts through aligned openings in panels. Convex surfaces of parts extend through openings and nest within cavities defined by concave surfaces, enabling compact stacking while maintaining protection through controlled non-contact positioning via gibs and panel structures
2Reliability
If parts are arranged in rows and columns separated by dunnage material, then parts are isolated from one another, but container space utilization becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
Parts are nested vertically through aligned openings in panels, with convex surfaces extending through openings and positioning parts within cavities of adjacent parts. This eliminates the need for horizontal dunnage separators while maintaining isolation through controlled positioning via gibs and panel opening geometries
Solution Approach 2:
The arrangement transitions from two-dimensional row/column layouts to three-dimensional nested stacking. Parts are positioned in vertical layers through panel openings, utilizing the third dimension (height/depth) to achieve compact arrangement without requiring horizontal separation space
3Productivity
If parts density per container is increased, then shipping efficiency improves, but the complexity of dunnage arrangement design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dunnage system is segmented into modular panels with standardized openings and gibs that can be independently positioned and adjusted. Each panel functions as an independent unit for nesting parts, allowing scalable complexity based on container size and part quantity while maintaining standardized connection mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
Panels serve multiple functions: providing structural support, defining nesting cavities through openings, positioning parts via gibs, and enabling vertical stacking. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate dunnage components needed, simplifying the overall arrangement while achieving high packing density
Data Source
AI summary
A nested dunnage arrangement is provided for compactly storing or transporting parts, each having a concave surface defining a cavity and a convex surface opposite the concave surface, and includes a panel defining an opening, and means for positioning a first part on one face of the panel with the concave surface of the first part facing the opening. The opening is sized to receive therein from an opposite face of the panel a convex surface of a second part such that the convex surface of the second part extends through the opening and at least partially into the cavity of first part. A periphery of the opening is configured to engage the convex surface of the second part received therein to nest the second part within the first part while also preventing the convex surface of the second part from contacting the concave surface of the first part.