Paperboard Carrier with Removable Flaps for Container Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carriers for holding and transporting containers, such as beverage cans, lack efficient retention and display solutions that allow for easy access and handling while maintaining structural integrity and material efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A carrier design featuring a blank with foldable panels and strategically placed adhesive openings, handle features, and reconfigurable edges that allow for robust container retention and easy access, formed from materials like paperboard or cardboard, enabling multiple container support and efficient packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional rigid carriers are used to hold containers, then structural integrity is maintained, but material efficiency is reduced and handling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a blank made from flexible material such as paperboard or cardboard that can be folded and formed into a carrier structure. This flexible blank allows for material efficiency while maintaining structural integrity through its formed configuration with panels, flaps, and adhesive openings that secure containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier is divided into multiple panels (front panel, back panel, side panels) and flaps that can be separately formed and assembled. This segmentation allows the blank to be manufactured efficiently from flat material while creating a structurally sound three-dimensional carrier when folded and assembled.
2Reliability
If containers are securely retained in the carrier, then stability is improved, but access to containers becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier incorporates removable flaps that can be opened or removed to provide access to containers. The adhesive openings allow containers to be securely retained when the flaps are closed, but the flaps can be dynamically opened or removed for easy container access, resolving the contradiction between secure retention and ease of access.
3Ease of operation
If the carrier structure is simplified for easy handling, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is pre-formed with fold lines, adhesive openings, and flap structures during manufacturing. These preliminary features guide the folding and assembly process, ensuring that even though the final structure is simple for handling, the manufacturing process maintains precision through pre-defined fold lines and attachment points.
Data Source
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AI summary
A carrier (105) for holding a plurality of containers (CA1, CA2, CA3, CB1, CB2, CB3), the carrier includes a plurality of panels that includes a top panel (173), at least one central panel (125a, 125b), and at least one attachment panel (131a, 131b) configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers, the at least one central panel is for being positioned between and attached to adjacent containers of the plurality of containers. The carrier also includes at least one access feature (205, 207) that is positionable for allowing access to at least one container of the plurality of containers, the at least one access feature includes a marginal portion (199, 201) of the top panel and a marginal portion (136a, 138a) of the at least one attachment panel.