Pull-Out Package Tray Locking Mechanism for Secure Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pull-out type packages are inconvenient due to easy separation of trays and sleeves during transportation or pick-and-place processes, causing articles to drop out.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring a tray and sleeve with a rear locking slot and elastic locking tab, along with a release tab for easy assembly and disassembly, preventing tray separation and allowing secure storage and retrieval of contents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pull-out type structure is used for the tray and sleeve, then the tray can be easily separated from the sleeve during transportation or pick-and-place processes, but this causes the articles stored therein to drop out and makes the package inconvenient to use
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tab is designed to be elastically deformable, transitioning between a locked position (engaged with the locking slot) and a unlocked position (disengaged from the locking slot). This dynamic characteristic allows the connection to be both stable during storage and easily separable when needed, resolving the contradiction between connection stability and ease of separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic deformation of the locking tab changes the physical state of the connection between tray and sleeve. When the locking tab is in the locked position, the connection is strong and stable; when pressed by the release tab, the locking tab deforms and the connection becomes weak, allowing easy separation. This parameter change resolves the contradiction.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent tray separation, then the tray remains securely locked within the sleeve, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tab and release tab are integrated into the sleeve structure as a single component system. The release tab is formed as an extension of the sleeve body, and both tabs work together with the locking slot to provide the locking function. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining reliable connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The release tab is designed to be easily pressable by a user's finger, allowing self-service operation without requiring external tools or complex mechanisms. The elastic locking tab automatically engages with the locking slot when the tray is inserted, providing automatic locking without additional actuators or control systems.
3Ease of operation
If a release tab is provided to easily detach the locking tab, then the package becomes easier to operate, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The release tab is merged with the sleeve structure as an integral component rather than a separate part. This integration allows the release function to be added without requiring additional assemblies or complex mechanisms, maintaining structural simplicity while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve structure is segmented into functional zones: the main body, the locking slot region, and the release tab region. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall structural simplicity. The release tab is positioned to be easily accessible and pressable by users.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The package design ensures the tray remains securely locked within the sleeve, preventing accidental drops and allowing easy operation, while also being child-resistant to prevent unauthorized access.
Implementation Method 1
The tray is provided with a locking tab capable of elastically extending through the rear locking slot to lock the tray in place relative to the sleeve
Implementation Method 2
The sleeve is further provided with a release tab capable of pressing the locking tab into the inner cavity, so as to release the locking tab from the rear locking slot
Data Source
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AI summary
A package includes a sleeve (200) and a tray (100). The sleeve (200) includes multiple walls (210) including a bottom wall (211), a top wall (212), and a plurality of side walls (213) connecting the top wall (212) and the bottom wall (211). The bottom wall (211), the top wall (212) and the side wall (213) cooperatively form an inner cavity (220) having at least one insertion opening (221). The tray (100) is slidably received in the inner cavity (220) via the insertion opening (221). The sleeve (200) has a rear locking slot (230). The tray (100) has a locking tab (110) elastically extending from the inner cavity (220) and being latched in the rear locking slot (230). The sleeve (200) further has a release tab (240) for pressing the locking tab (110) into the inner cavity (220), thereby detaching the locking tab (110) from the rear locking slot (230).