Surface Patterned Flange Resists Flexure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food container designs lack sufficient rigidity in their flanges, leading to flexure and damage during denesting and handling, which can cause machine handling errors and increase the risk of damage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating relief patterns on the flanges of food containers, such as diamond, rhombus, or circular patterns, to impart rigidity and resist flexure, which can be formed through etching or embossing during the manufacturing process, enhancing the structural integrity of the flanges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flanges are made thin and lightweight for automated packaging, then ease of manufacture and material usage are improved, but rigidity and resistance to flexure deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies relief patterns (such as diamond, rhombus, or circular patterns) to specific localized areas of the flange surface. These patterns create raised or recessed regions that concentrate structural strength where needed during denesting and handling, while leaving other areas of the flange thin and lightweight for ease of manufacture and material efficiency.
2Weight of moving object
If flanges are made thin for lightweight containers, then weight reduction is achieved, but susceptibility to damage during handling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relief patterns are strategically positioned on the flange surfaces to provide localized reinforcement exactly where contact occurs during automated handling and denesting operations. This allows the overall flange to remain thin and lightweight while specific patterned regions resist damage from mechanical contact and flexure.
3Ease of operation
If flanges are made thin and flexible for container assembly, then ease of assembly is improved, but resistance to flexure during denesting deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The relief patterns create localized rigid zones on the flange surfaces that resist unwanted flexure during denesting operations. The patterns are designed to maintain controlled flexibility for assembly while providing sufficient rigidity to prevent excessive bending and damage during automated handling and stacking.
Data Source
AI summary
A container and a method for forming a container that has a base flange on a base, and a lid flange on a lid. One or both of the base flange and lid flange have a relief pattern. For each flange that has the relief pattern, the relief pattern imparts rigidity in the flange to resist flexure of the flange relative to the portion of the container (the base or lid) to which the flange is attached.