Shipping container having drawers with lockable latch assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shipping containers are ergonomically unfriendly, causing strain and injury to workers due to difficult access and contact between products and dunnage, leading to increased costs and production losses.
Innovation Solution
A reusable and returnable container with multiple levels of movable drawers and dunnage that minimizes contact between products and dunnage, featuring tracks, rollers, and a latch assembly to facilitate easy access and reduce physical strain on workers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If products are inserted into pouches suspended by dunnage supports, then products can be stored in containers, but products may contact the material of the pouch and be damaged during loading or unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into multiple drawers that can be independently opened and closed. Each drawer contains products separately, allowing selective access to specific drawers without disturbing other products. This segmentation eliminates the need for products to contact dunnage supports during access operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Drawers serve as an intermediary between the products and the container structure. The drawers have smooth surfaces that facilitate easy sliding along tracks without product contact. The latch assemblies provide controlled access, preventing direct contact between products and potentially damaging dunnage materials.
2Ease of operation
If containers are configured to eliminate the need for workers to walk around, then container length is reduced, but the number of parts or products that may be shipped and stored is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container utilizes vertical space by incorporating multiple drawers at different heights within the same container footprint. This multi-level drawer configuration allows full utilization of container volume while maintaining ergonomic access from a single location, effectively adding a vertical dimension to storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawers are designed to be movable along tracks, allowing them to be pulled out for easy access and then retracted when not in use. This dynamic configuration enables workers to access products from the front without walking around, while the retracted position maximizes the usable length for storing more parts.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple levels of movable dunnage are used, then products can be stored at different heights, but products may contact the material of the pouch and be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using continuous dunnage supports that span multiple levels, the invention segments the storage into separate drawers at each level. Each drawer is an independent unit that can be accessed without affecting other levels, eliminating product contact with dunnage materials while maintaining multi-level storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The potentially harmful dunnage supports are extracted from the drawer structure. Drawers move along tracks that are separate from the dunnage material, allowing products to be stored at multiple heights without contacting the dunnage. The dunnage function is replaced by the drawer-box structure itself.
4Ease of operation
If workers must lean forward and bend down to access bottom parts, then all container levels can be accessed, but workers experience physical trauma and pain
Solution Approach 1:
All drawers are positioned at accessible heights within the container, with the lowest drawer positioned at a height that does not require excessive bending. The movable drawer design allows all levels to be accessed from a standing or slightly bent position, creating an equipotential working condition that eliminates severe bending and reduces physical trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawers are designed to move outward on tracks, allowing workers to pull drawers toward themselves for easy access. This dynamic access method eliminates the need to lean forward and bend down into the container, as products can be retrieved by pulling the drawer outward to a convenient working position.
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 container allows for efficient and ergonomic access to products, reducing worker strain and injury while minimizing product damage during shipping, thereby lowering costs and improving production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the rods may be surrounded by a roller to facilitate opening or closing a drawer of the container
Data Source
AI summary
A container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse has a base and two sides, tracks attached to opposite sides, and a plurality of drawers. Each drawer has at least one drawer support which moves along the tracks during movement of the drawer. Rotatable members at the front of the container assist movement of the drawers. Each drawer has a latch assembly for locking the drawer in a closed position during shipment. Dunnage may be located inside one or more of the drawers.