Oval Through-Hole Fluid Container for Safe Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid-holding containers for vehicle service centers are large, bulky, and often unsafe to stack due to weight stress, which occupies excessive space and poses a tipping risk.
Innovation Solution
A rotationally molded fluid-holding container with an oval through-hole for structural rigidity and a secure mounting system using washers and bolts to prevent tipping, allowing for safe stacking and efficient use of space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional fluid-holding containers are used to store and dispense vehicle fluids, then the containers can hold and dispense fluids, but they occupy excessive floor space and cannot be safely stacked
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into multiple compartments, each capable of holding different types of fluids. This segmentation allows for more efficient space utilization and enables safer stacking configurations without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The container incorporates vertical stacking capability by designing interlocking features and reinforcement structures that distribute weight across multiple levels. This transforms the storage solution from a single-level horizontal arrangement to a multi-level vertical arrangement, significantly reducing floor space occupation.
2Area of stationary object
If conventional fluid-holding containers are stacked to reduce floor space, then floor space is reduced, but the containers may tip over when bumped
Solution Approach 1:
The container includes pre-designed attachment features such as brackets, lugs, or interlocking mechanisms that enable secure fastening to walls or other structures before stacking occurs. This preliminary preparation ensures that when containers are stacked, they can be quickly and reliably secured against tipping without requiring complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The container utilizes composite construction combining rigid materials for structural strength with lighter materials for the fluid-holding chambers. This composite approach maintains anti-tipping stability and stacking strength while optimizing the overall weight distribution and reducing the center of gravity, thereby improving stability.
3Area of stationary object
If conventional fluid-holding containers are stacked, then floor space is reduced, but the weight of contained fluids causes stress on lower containers
Solution Approach 1:
The container design incorporates internal reinforcement structures, ribs, or honeycomb patterns that act as counterweight elements distributed throughout the container body. These features strengthen the lower portions of stacked containers to bear the weight of fluids in upper containers, preventing buckling and structural failure while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs varying wall thicknesses and reinforcement concentrations at different locations, with stronger materials and thicker walls positioned at the base and lower sections where stress from stacking is greatest. This local quality optimization ensures adequate stress resistance without unnecessarily increasing the weight or complexity of the entire container.
Data Source
AI summary
A container for holding and dispensing fluids used in vehicles includes spaced-apart front and back walls; spaced-apart left and right side walls; and spaced-apart top and bottom walls; the front and back walls, left and right side walls, and top and bottom walls together defining an enclosed fluid-containing inner chamber. Two sets of through walls are molded between the front wall and the back wall of the container to define a pair of aligned, circular-shaped, horizontally-extending through-holes between the front wall and the back wall of the container.