Open-Walled Pack with Unitary Blank and Asymmetric Wall Heights
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packaging designs with windows or openings to provide product visibility before opening are complex to construct and costly, and existing solutions allow products to be removed prematurely.
Innovation Solution
A unitary blank folded into a rectangular cuboid shape with strategically placed openings that are not covered by a pane, allowing consumer visibility without enabling product removal before opening, constructed from a single material like paperboard with specific flap configurations to maintain rigidity and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a window or opening is included in the pack to provide product visibility, then consumer visibility to products is improved, but the complexity of constructing and filling the pack increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pack is divided into distinct functional zones: solid wall panels for structural integrity, opening portions for visibility, and flap elements for closure. The blank is segmented into multiple panels (front, back, side walls) that can be independently formed and assembled, allowing the opening to be integrated without complicating the overall construction process
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the pack have different properties: wall panels provide structural rigidity and opacity, while opening portions provide transparency and visibility. The material properties and geometric characteristics vary locally to achieve both visibility and construction simplicity in their respective zones
2Loss of information
If a window pane is used over an opening, then product visibility is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional window pane element is extracted and eliminated from the design. Instead of adding a separate transparent panel, the opening is formed directly in the wall panel itself, removing the need for additional materials and assembly steps while maintaining visibility functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The wall panel serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, defines the pack shape, and creates the opening for visibility all in one element. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components and reduces manufacturing complexity and cost
3Ease of manufacture
If an opening without a pane is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but product removal before opening becomes possible
Solution Approach 1:
The flap is pre-positioned and configured to cover the opening before the pack is opened. The flap's initial state blocks access to the opening, preventing product removal while maintaining the simple unpaneled design. The flap acts as a preliminary protective barrier that is already in place during manufacturing and storage
Solution Approach 2:
The flap serves as an intermediary element between the opening and the product. It mediates access to the product by controlling whether the opening is exposed or covered, allowing the simple unpaneled design to maintain product protection through this intermediate protective element
4Loss of information
If the upper edge of walls is disposed at height greater than 50 percent, then product visibility is improved, but the structural stability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pack structure uses asymmetric wall height configurations where the back wall extends higher than the front wall. This asymmetric design allows the back wall to provide enhanced structural support and stability while the front wall maintains a lower profile that maximizes opening visibility, resolving the trade-off between visibility and stability
Data Source
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AI summary
[0060] Embodiments described herein provide for a pack made of a unitary blank that may be folded into a rectangular cuboid. The pack defines a bottom, a top that is approximately parallel to and opposite of the bottom, and four walls that are approximately perpendicular to and disposed between the top and the bottom. The four walls include a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, and a fourth wall. The first wall is opposite of the third wall and the second wall is opposite of the fourth wall. First and second openings extend from the first wall to the third wall of the cuboid in a direction parallel to a bottom plane of the cuboid and from the top to an upper edge of the second wall and fourth wall respectively in a direction normal to the bottom plane of the cuboid. The upper edge of the second and fourth walls is disposed at a height in the range of 50 percent or greater of a distance from the bottom to the top of the cuboid.