Segmented Carrier Design for Material Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing basket-style article carriers face challenges in minimizing material usage, ensuring strength, and aesthetic appeal while maintaining functionality for transporting large weights and promoting sales.
Innovation Solution
A carrier design featuring a plurality of main panels forming outer walls with a medial partition structure, including handle panels and securing panels hingedly connected by fold lines, allowing for a collapsible and erectable tubular structure with a carrying handle, optimized for minimal material usage and enhanced assembly efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the thickness or caliper of the sheet material is reduced to minimize material usage, then material consumption and cost are reduced, but the strength of the carrier deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is divided into multiple cells by partition structures that extend from the base to the rim. This segmentation distributes the load across multiple compartments, enhancing the overall strength of the thinner material. The partitions create structural reinforcement that compensates for the reduced material thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a medial partition structure that divides the carrier into multiple cells, adding a dimensional element that enhances structural integrity. The partition structure creates additional load-bearing surfaces and distributes stress across multiple planes, allowing thinner material to achieve comparable strength.
2Ease of manufacture
If the carrier structure is simplified to reduce manufacturing complexity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the aesthetic appeal and functionality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is segmented into multiple cells by partition structures that are formed from the same sheet material through die-cutting and folding. This segmentation creates an aesthetically pleasing multi-compartment design while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as all partitions are formed in a single blanking operation from the original sheet.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition structures serve multiple functions: they divide the carrier into cells for organizing articles, provide structural reinforcement to enhance strength, and create an attractive aesthetic appearance. This multi-functionality allows the same structural element to address multiple requirements simultaneously.
3Strength
If the carrier is designed to hold and transport large weights, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interior chamber is divided into two or more cells by partition structures that extend from the base to the rim. This segmentation distributes the weight of transported articles across multiple compartments and structural elements, allowing the carrier to bear larger loads without requiring proportionally more material. Each partition acts as a load-bearing element that shares the mechanical stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The addition of medial partitions creates a three-dimensional lattice structure within the carrier walls. This dimensional enhancement provides additional load-bearing surfaces and distributes stress across multiple planes, enabling the thinner material to support heavier weights through improved structural geometry rather than increased material quantity.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier (190, 90) comprising a plurality of main panels (18, 20, 22, 24, 26) forming outer walls and defining an interior chamber, the plurality of main panels comprise a first side panel (20, 120), a second side panel (24, 124), first end panel (18, 118), second end panel (64, 164), third end panel (70, 170) and fourth end panel (82, 182). The first and fourth end panels form a composite end wall of the carrier. The second and third end walls form a second composite end wall of the carrier. The second end wall is hingedly connected to the third end wall by a first fold line (21, 121). The interior chamber is divided into two or more cells by a partition structure. The partition structure comprises a first handle panel (14, 114) hingedly connected along a first side edge to an end panel.