Reusable Container With Channel Walls And Constricting Band
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container designs require the use of penetrating fasteners or adhesives for assembly, which complicates reuse and recycling, and increases material consumption and assembly time.
Innovation Solution
A container design that uses upper and lower walls with channels to receive side walls without the need for penetrating fasteners or adhesives, instead relying on a band or strap to apply a constricting tensile force for assembly and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If penetrating fasteners or adhesives are used for assembly, then the container achieves strong structural integrity, but the container becomes difficult to disassemble and recycle
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into separate modular components (base, sides, top) that can be independently assembled and disassembled. The channels and protrusions create segmented connection points that maintain structural integrity while allowing easy separation without penetrating fasteners or adhesives.
Solution Approach 2:
The side walls are inserted into channels of the base and top walls, creating a nested assembly structure. The protrusions fit within the channels, providing mechanical interlocking that maintains strength while enabling tool-free assembly and disassembly through simple insertion and removal motions.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional container designs are used, then assembly is achieved through conventional methods, but material consumption and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts and eliminates the need for separate fasteners, adhesives, and other auxiliary materials. The connection functionality is integrated directly into the container walls through channels and protrusions, reducing material consumption while simplifying the assembly process to a single insertion action.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural, connecting, and sealing functions are merged into the container walls themselves. The channels and protrusions serve multiple purposes: providing structural support, enabling mechanical connection, and facilitating easy assembly/disassembly, thereby reducing the need for additional components and materials.
3Ease of manufacture
If a band or strap applies constricting tensile force for sealing, then the container achieves closed configuration without penetrating fasteners, but the structural integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The band or strap acts as a flexible constraining element that wraps around the container assembly, applying constricting tensile force to seal the container. This flexible element provides the sealing function without requiring penetrating fasteners, maintaining the non-penetrating assembly approach while managing the complexity through a simple external banding mechanism.
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 design allows for easy disassembly and reuse of the container without tools, reduces material consumption, and minimizes assembly time, while also providing ecological benefits through reduced waste and increased recyclability.
Implementation Method 1
at least one band or strap that applies a constricting tensile force looping around the container, and looping around the upper and lower walls and around two opposing side walls that structurally integrates and seals the container in a closed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is an article of manufacturing, being an improved design for a container that can be manufactured in a way that reduces an amount of material, and reduces an amount of monetary cost, time, human effort and risk of injury that are typically required for manufacturing and assembling together components that are required for constructing a traditional container. This improved container is also reusable and recyclable and can be disassembled and re-assembled without requiring use of invasive methods or penetrating fasteners, so as to maximize reusability and to minimize space requirements when not in use. This improved container design also provides ecological benefits given that it reduces an amount of consumption of material resources in relation to that of more traditional container designs.