Open-Corner Container Carrier With Secure Top Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carriers for containers lack efficient and secure methods to hold and display multiple containers while providing visibility and access, especially for beverage containers like cans and bottles, while maintaining structural integrity and ease of handling.
Innovation Solution
A carrier design featuring panels with foldable flaps and retention features that securely hold containers, allowing for open corners for visibility and access, and handle flaps for easy handling, constructed from materials like paperboard or cardboard with optional coatings for durability and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If panels extend at least partially around the interior of the carrier, then structural integrity and container security are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is divided into multiple panels (front, back, left side, right side) that can be separately formed and assembled. Each panel can be independently manufactured and then joined together through the end flaps, allowing for modular production and assembly while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple panels and end flaps are combined to form a complete carrier structure. The end flaps serve dual purposes by both closing the ends of the carrier and providing attachment points for securing containers, merging structural and functional elements into a unified design.
2Stability of the object's composition
If end flaps are overlapped to form ends of the carrier, then structural stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end flaps are pre-formed and pre-positioned on the panels during the blank creation stage. This preliminary preparation allows for simplified final assembly, as the flaps are already in their correct positions and orientations, reducing the complexity of the manufacturing process while ensuring structural stability.
3Reliability
If container retention features are added to the top panel, then container security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Container retention features such as recesses, protrusions, or engagement structures are added only to specific locations on the top panel where containers need to be secured. This localized approach provides necessary container security while minimizing the overall complexity of the carrier design, as not the entire structure is made more complex.
4Ease of operation
If open corners are defined by free edges of panels, then visibility and access are improved, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier design incorporates open corners by creating asymmetric configurations where the top panel, bottom panel, and side panels have free edges that do not fully enclose the structure. This asymmetric design provides visibility and access benefits while the overall panel framework maintains sufficient structural integrity for container transport.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier for holding a plurality of containers includes a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the plurality of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel, and at least one side panel, a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels at least partially overlapped to form at least one end of the carrier, container retention features in the top panel for at least partially receiving a portion of a respective container of the plurality of containers, and at least one open corner of the carrier defined between a free edge of the top panel, a free edge of the bottom panel, and a free edge of the at least one side panel.