Pizza Box Blank Nesting Arrangement for Material Efficiency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pizza delivery boxes are not optimized for material efficiency in manufacturing and storage, as they do not utilize a nesting arrangement that minimizes material usage effectively.
Innovation Solution
A pizza box blank design featuring a bottom panel, top panel, and rear wall with specific side and corner walls, flaps, and a closure tab, which can be cut and creased to form a corrugated cardboard structure, allowing for efficient assembly into a pizza box and nesting arrangement that reduces material usage when multiple blanks are stacked.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional pizza box designs are used, then manufacturing and storage are straightforward, but material efficiency is poor and excessive material is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by designing the pizza box blank with flaps that can be positioned adjacent to and extend toward one another, allowing multiple blanks to be stacked and nested together during storage and transport. This nesting arrangement significantly reduces the space occupied by inventory blanks and minimizes material consumption compared to traditional flat storage methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional two-dimensional flat storage of box blanks to a three-dimensional nesting arrangement. By configuring flaps to extend toward one another and enable vertical stacking, the design utilizes the third dimension (height) for storage optimization, thereby reducing the floor space required and improving material efficiency.
2Productivity
If material usage is reduced through optimization, then manufacturing efficiency improves, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is segmented into distinct functional components including bottom panel, top panel, rear wall, side walls, and flaps. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity. The flaps are designed as separate elements that can be precisely configured to provide both material efficiency and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the blank are designed with locally optimized properties. The flaps are configured with specific dimensions and folding characteristics tailored to their function in the nesting arrangement, while maintaining sufficient strength for box assembly and pizza containment. This local optimization ensures material efficiency without compromising overall structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A pizza box blank includes a bottom panel, a top panel and a rear wall connecting the bottom panel to the top panel. The bottom panel includes first and second side walls. The blank includes first and second flaps connected to the first and second side walls, respectively, wherein upon assembly of the blank into a pizza box, the first and second flaps are positioned adjacent the top panel and extend toward one another.