Segmented Box Flaps With Pivotable Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cardboard boxes suffer from limited service-life due to structural damage when repeatedly opened and closed, as the overlapping flap configuration requires inelastic strains that compromise their stability and integrity.
Innovation Solution
A box design featuring four pivotally attached flaps that can be configured in interlocking positions without compromising structural integrity, utilizing pivotable tabs and joints to maintain stability across multiple cycles of opening and closing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flaps are folded in an overlapping configuration to form top and bottom surfaces, then the box can be assembled without adhesive tape or supplemental reinforcement, but at least one flap must be distorted and one or more adjacent walls stressed such that they endure inelastic strains that diminish their stability and structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of folding flaps in an overlapping configuration where flaps are placed on top of each other, this patent inverts the approach by having flaps interlock with each other through complementary tab-and-slot structures. The flaps engage with one another in a interlocking manner rather than overlapping, which eliminates the need for adhesive while preventing distortion and inelastic strain accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flaps are segmented into distinct components including tabs and slots that can interlock independently. Each flap contains specific features (tabs or slots) that engage with adjacent flaps, allowing the box to be assembled without adhesive tape while maintaining structural integrity through the segmented interlocking design.
2Device complexity
If flaps are folded in an overlapping configuration, then supplemental reinforcement is not required, but repeated cycles of opening and closing cause inelastic strains that compromise the stability and structural integrity of the box
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional overlapping flap design by implementing an interlocking configuration where flaps engage through tabs and slots. This reversal of the folding approach eliminates the need for supplemental reinforcement while enabling the box to withstand repeated opening and closing cycles without accumulating inelastic strains, thereby extending service-life.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking flap design allows for dynamic movement during opening and closing operations. The tabs and slots are designed to accommodate the mechanical stresses of repeated cycles, enabling the flaps to move flexibly while maintaining their interlocked relationship, which enhances reliability without requiring additional reinforcement.
3Reliability
If flaps are configured in an interlocking arrangement, then structural integrity can be maintained during repeated cycles, but the box requires a more complex flap configuration with tabs and joints
Solution Approach 1:
The flaps are segmented into modular components (tabs and slots) that can be systematically arranged. While this segmentation increases complexity compared to simple overlapping, it enables reliable interlocking that maintains structural integrity during repeated use. The segmented design allows for standardized manufacturing and assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The tab and slot features are merged into the flap structures themselves during manufacturing, rather than being added as separate components. This integration reduces the overall complexity by combining the interlocking mechanism directly into the flaps, maintaining structural integrity without requiring additional parts or assembly steps.
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 box maintains structural integrity throughout repeated cycles of opening and closing, extending its service-life without the need for supplemental reinforcement like adhesive tape.
Implementation Method 1
The first and fourth flaps further comprise a first and second pivotable tab, respectively. The first and second pivotable tabs comprise a first and second joint, respectively.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary, nonlimiting embodiment of the present disclosure provides a box, as well as a method of use for the box, which may be opened and closed without substantially compromising the structural integrity of the box. The box comprises a base, at least four walls, and a segmental lid. The segmental lid comprises a first, second, third, and fourth flap. The first and fourth flaps further comprise a first and second pivotable tab, respectfully. The pivotable tabs are pivotally configurable and are preferably configured to be oriented in substantially opposing directions, relative to one another when the first and fourth flap are disposed in their respective closed or open positions. The method comprises disposing each of the flaps into their closed positions, respectively, such that the box may be subsequently opened without substantially compromising the structural integrity of the box.