Reusable Inflatable Cushioning Material for Protective Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation of rental products incurs high costs due to the need for new packing materials each time, and discarded cushioning materials like Styrofoam are environmentally unfriendly.
Innovation Solution
A cushioning material with a variable body that inflates under one condition and deflates under another, integrated into a packaging system with a housing section and lid, allowing reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cushioning materials like Styrofoam or air bags are used for protecting articles during transportation, then the article is protected from damage, but the materials must be discarded after single use, increasing costs and environmental impact
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning material uses a variable body that can dynamically change its state between inflated and deflated conditions. When inflated, it provides cushioning protection; when deflated, it allows for compact storage and repeated use. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction by enabling the material to serve its protective function temporarily while being reusable afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the cushioning material by transitioning it between inflated and deflated states. The variable body's volume, pressure, and shape are altered based on operational needs, allowing it to provide protection when inflated and be compacted for storage when deflated, thus enabling repeated use without compromising protection capability.
2Reliability
If new packaging materials are delivered for each transportation of rental products, then the article is adequately protected, but transportation costs increase due to frequent material procurement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention enables recovery and reuse of the cushioning material after its protective function is fulfilled. The variable body can be deflated and stored within the housing section, allowing the same material to be used for multiple transportation cycles. This eliminates the need to continuously procure new packaging materials, reducing both cost and material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning material serves multiple functions: it provides protection during transportation when inflated, and serves as compact storage space-saving element when deflated. The variable body can be reused across multiple transportation cycles, making a single material serve universal protective purposes repeatedly rather than being single-use.
3Ease of operation
If cushioning materials are disposed of after use, then the system is simple to operate, but environmental impact increases due to waste generation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding the cushioning material after use, the invention enables recovery and repeated use of the variable body. The material can be deflated and stored for future use, significantly reducing waste generation and environmental pollution while maintaining operational simplicity through automated or manual inflation/deflation cycles.
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
Reduces transportation costs and minimizes environmental impact by enabling repeated use of cushioning materials.
Implementation Method 1
a variable body that inflates and applies a predetermined pressure on an object when a first condition is satisfied and deflates and releases the pressure on the object when a second condition is satisfied
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention addresses the problem of making it possible to repeatedly use a cushioning material that protects an object. Packaging 1 comprises a storage part 20 and a cushioning material having a bag-shaped body 10. The storage part 20 is a container of a material such as, for example, plastic. The storage part 20 has an opening 21. The storage part 20 allows an object such as a camera to be stored, from the opening 21. The cushioning material having the bag-shaped body 10 is provided. If a first condition (such as a lid 23 of the storage part having been closed) is satisfied, the bag-shaped body 10 inflates and applies a prescribed pressure to a camera A to support the camera A, and if a second condition (such as the lid 23 of the storage part 20 having been opened) is satisfied, the bag-shaped body deflates to release the pressure on the camera A. The above problem is thus resolved.