Paperboard container with sidewall features and method of manufacturing thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional paperboard containers face limitations in rigidity and stress resistance due to their fibrous structure and manufacturing process, which results in pleats that weaken the material and limit the degree of curvature, making them prone to delamination and separation under load.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an annular ring structure with a plurality of bends in the lower portion of the sidewall, forming an undulation that enhances rigidity by resisting stress and strain, while minimizing pleat disruption, achieved through a manufacturing process using forming dies with mating projections and receivers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional paperboard containers are formed by drawing a flat blank into a three-dimensional shape, then the container can be manufactured from simple paperboard material, but the resulting pleats in the sidewall reduce rigidity and strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sidewall into multiple zones with different geometric features. The upper sidewall maintains a smooth tapered surface for ease of manufacture, while the lower sidewall incorporates an annular ring structure with bends and undulations that segment the wall to increase rigidity without disrupting the upper surface quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a circumferential dimension to the lower sidewall by incorporating an annular ring structure with multiple bends and undulations. This creates additional structural layers in the circumferential direction, increasing rigidity perpendicular to the original flat blank orientation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
2Adaptability or versatility
If the degree of curvature in the paperboard container is increased to improve geometric features, then the container design becomes more versatile, but the fibrous structure limits the maximum curvature achievable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different geometric qualities to different regions of the container. The upper sidewall maintains a smooth tapered geometry with gentle curvature for versatility, while the lower sidewall incorporates sharp bends and undulations in the annular ring structure where high curvature is needed for rigidity, allowing each region to optimize its geometric properties
3Ease of manufacture
If heat and moisture are applied during the forming process to facilitate three-dimensional shape formation, then the paperboard becomes more formable, but the coating on the paperboard may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heat and moisture selectively to specific regions during forming. The upper sidewall receives minimal thermal and moisture exposure to preserve coating integrity, while the lower sidewall with the annular ring structure receives controlled exposure sufficient to enable the sharp bends and undulations, achieving formability where needed without compromising the coating on the upper surface
4Volume of moving object
If pleats are formed in the paperboard during the drawing process to reduce diameter, then the container can be formed from a larger blank, but the pleats create weak areas prone to delamination and separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pleat-forming action from the upper sidewall region and relocates it to the lower sidewall where the annular ring structure is formed. This removes the harmful pleats from the critical upper loading area while still achieving the necessary diameter reduction through the controlled undulations in the lower region, preventing delamination in the upper sidewall
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 solution significantly increases the rigidity of paperboard containers, allowing them to withstand downward forces without excessive pleat separation or buckling, while maintaining a smooth tapered upper sidewall for ease of formation and user preference.
Implementation Method 1
the dies used to force the paperboard into the desired shape are often heated
Implementation Method 2
a flat paperboard blank is mechanically forced into a die cavity to form a three-dimensional shape
Implementation Method 3
the paperboard is commonly pre-moistened to possess a desirable moisture content
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable paperboard container, and method for manufacturing the same, formed into a geometric shape having a bottom wall with a bottom transition segment about the periphery of the bottom wall leading to an upstanding sidewall extending to an upper rim, wherein an undulation of paperboard resides along the peripheral area of the lower portion of the sidewall to form a stepped lower sidewall, the stepped lower sidewall being joined to a smooth upper sidewall that extends upward tapered outward; wherein the stepped lower sidewall includes a first bend and a second bend of paperboard about the periphery of the lower sidewall and a transition segment between the first and second bend extends radially outward to form a rim about the peripheral area of the lower portion of the sidewall.