Snus Box Interlocking Stack Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for stacking snus boxes require significant amounts of packing material, such as plastic film, to maintain stability, which increases waste and complexity in the packaging process.

Innovation Solution

A stack of snus boxes is stabilized using a combination of gluing and interlocking mechanisms, where each box is held together by adhesive points that allow easy separation without damaging the boxes, eliminating the need for external wrapping materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If plastic film wrapping is used to stabilize the stack of snus boxes, then the stability of the stack is improved, but the quantity of packing material increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestack stabilityVSAvoidpacking material quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the external plastic film wrapping from the packaging system. Instead of using external wrapping material, the stack is stabilized through direct interlocking mechanisms between adjacent snus boxes, where protrusions on one box engage with recesses on neighboring boxes, thereby removing the need for additional packing material while maintaining stack stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Stability of the object's composition

If plastic film wrapping is used to stabilize the stack of snus boxes, then the stability of the stack is improved, but the complexity of the packaging process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestack stabilityVSAvoidpackaging process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the plastic film wrapping step from the packaging process entirely. The stability function previously performed by the external film is transferred to integrated interlocking features built into the snus boxes themselves, simplifying the packaging process by eliminating the wrapping operation while maintaining stack stability through the protrusion-recess engagement mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The snus boxes are designed with self-stabilizing interlocking features that automatically engage when boxes are stacked. The protrusions and recesses are built into the box structure, allowing the boxes to stabilize the stack themselves without requiring external wrapping materials or additional packaging steps, thereby reducing process complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4194355B1Stack of snus boxes
Publication Date: 2024.07.03 SASIB SPA
  • EP4194355B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4194355B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4194355B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A stack (9) of snus boxes (1) having a plurality of suns boxes (1) arranged on top of one another with a lower wall (3) of a snus box (1) in contact with an upper wall (2) of another snus box (1). Between each snus box (1) and the adjacent snus box (1) there is an interlocking that determines a firm mechanical connection between the two snus boxes (1) in order to prevent the two snus boxes (1) from moving apart.