Slide and Shell Container Asymmetric Access Opening Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slide and shell containers for elongate smoking articles suffer from aesthetically undesirable gaps between the inner slide and outer shell, leading to potential loss of goods, and do not effectively utilize the projecting portion of the inner slide for branding and information display.
Innovation Solution
A slide and shell container design where the access openings in the outer shell and inner slide are offset, allowing the inner slide to project outward fully in the open position, providing a larger surface area for branding and preventing accidental opening, with retention means to restrict further slidable movement beyond the open position, and using cut-outs or apertures for easy sliding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the inner slide projects outwardly from the outer shell in the open position, then the external surface area for branding is increased, but gaps remain between the inner slide and outer shell leading to potential loss of goods
Solution Approach 1:
The access openings in the outer shell and inner slide are positioned asymmetrically relative to each other. When the container is in the closed position, the access opening in the outer shell is offset from the access opening in the inner slide, preventing alignment and thus preventing goods from being accidentally removed while maintaining the ability to fully close the container.
2Area of moving object
If the inner slide projects outwardly from the outer shell, then branding visibility is enhanced, but the container cannot be fully closed
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric positioning of access openings allows the inner slide to project outwardly from the outer shell in the open position, maximizing the external surface area available for branding while ensuring that the access openings do not align when closed, thereby maintaining full closure capability.
3Reliability
If access openings are positioned to allow full closure, then goods loss is prevented, but branding surface area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By positioning the access openings asymmetrically, the design achieves both objectives: the inner slide can project outwardly to provide maximum branding surface area, while the offset positioning ensures that when closed, the access openings do not align, preventing goods loss.
4Reliability
If retention means are added to restrict slidable movement beyond open position, then device complexity is increased, but reliability of closure is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric positioning of access openings inherently provides closure reliability by preventing alignment when closed, eliminating the need for additional retention means and thus avoiding increased device complexity while maintaining reliable closure.
Data Source
AI summary
A slide and shell container, which finds particular application as a pack for elongate smoking articles such as cigarettes, and which includes an outer shell having a first access opening; and an inner slide having a second access opening. The inner slide is mounted within the outer shell for slidable movement relative thereto between a closed position, in which the second access opening is occluded by the outer shell and the interior of the inner slide is inaccessible, and an open position, in which the second access opening is substantially aligned with the first access opening such that the interior of the inner slide is accessible through the first and second access openings.