Prolate Spheroidal Ball Packaging with Foldable Cradle
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging solutions for prolate spheroidal sports balls often require complex assembly or use of adhesives/fasteners for secure storage and display, making them inefficient and costly to produce and disassemble.
Innovation Solution
A foldable, one-piece package with a back plate, cradles, and a wing portion that allows for secure holding and easy release of the ball without adhesives, using a flap and wing element configuration to encase the ball, facilitating easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If existing packaging solutions are used for prolate spheroidal sports balls, then the ball can be stored and transported, but complex assembly and adhesives/fasteners are required making production inefficient and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The package is divided into distinct functional components: a back plate, a cradle portion with first and second ends, and a flap portion. These segmented parts can be independently manufactured and then assembled through simple insertion and folding actions, eliminating complex assembly procedures while maintaining secure ball retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The package structure merges the back plate, cradle, and flap into a unified design where the cradle extends continuously from the back plate and the flap connects to the cradle. This integration eliminates the need for separate fasteners and adhesives, as the components work together as a cohesive unit to secure and release the ball.
2Reliability
If adhesives and fasteners are used to secure the ball, then secure storage is achieved, but production costs increase and disassembly becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The package structure is designed to be self-securing through its geometry. The cradle portion naturally cradles the ball, and the flap portion, when folded into position, automatically retains the ball without requiring adhesives or fasteners. The structure maintains reliability through its inherent design rather than additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The package uses simple, inexpensive structural elements (paperboard or similar material) that can be easily manufactured and disposed of after use. By eliminating adhesives and fasteners, the overall cost of the packaging system is reduced, making it economically viable for single-use applications.
3Reliability
If complex packaging structures are used, then secure storage is achieved, but assembly and disassembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The package is pre-configured with the cradle extending from the back plate and the flap positioned to fold over the opening. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the ball is inserted, the structure is already prepared to secure it, eliminating the need for additional assembly steps after ball insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of securing the ball through complex fastening mechanisms, the design inverts the approach by using a simple open structure that naturally retains the ball through its geometry. The flap simply folds over to complete the enclosure, making both assembly and disassembly rapid operations.
4Strength
If adhesives are used to attach the package, then secure bonding is achieved, but the ball cannot be removed without damage
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts the bonding function entirely from the package structure. Instead of using adhesives to attach components to each other or to the ball, the package relies on mechanical retention through the cradle and flap geometry. This allows the ball to be removed freely without damaging adhesives or the package structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A package for a prolate spheroidal ball having a longitudinal axis. A back plate is disposed between a first end and a second end of the package. A first cradle extends from the back plate adjacent the first end, and is operative to receive a first portion of the prolate spheroidal ball along the longitudinal axis. A wing portion extends from the back plate adjacent the second end, and at least partially circumscribes the longitudinal axis of the prolate spheroidal ball. A flap portion extends from the wing portion and defines an end surface of the package. The longitudinal axis intersects the flap portion.