Sortation-Friendly Container Profile Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container designs fail to effectively distinguish between recyclable and non-recyclable items during the recycling process, leading to contamination and inefficiencies in material recovery.
Innovation Solution
A container with a specific overall profile greater than a predetermined reclaim profile, featuring a floor, side wall, and filler neck, which blocks passage through sortation screens, ensuring it is reclaimed for recycling while maintaining a volume of about 50 to 60 milliliters and minimizing weight while maximizing top load resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the container is made with a larger overall profile to block passage through sortation screens, then the container is effectively reclaimed for recycling, but the container volume increases beyond the desired range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the container's dimensional parameters (length, width, height) to exceed the sortation screen aperture dimensions while maintaining an optimal volume. The container is designed with specific dimensions that provide sufficient profile to block passage through screens with apertures of approximately 2 inches by 1.5 inches, ensuring reliable reclaim while keeping the volume within the desired range for effective recycling
2Reliability
If the container profile is increased to prevent passage through screens, then sorting effectiveness improves, but the container weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes to optimize the container's dimensional characteristics, achieving the minimum necessary profile to block screen passage while minimizing weight. By carefully selecting dimensions that just exceed the sortation screen aperture requirements, the design achieves effective sorting without unnecessary weight increase, balancing recyclability with efficient material recovery
3Weight of moving object
If the container is designed with minimal profile to reduce weight, then material efficiency improves, but the container cannot be effectively distinguished from non-recyclable items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes to establish a clear dimensional threshold that distinguishes recyclable containers from non-recyclable items. The container dimensions are specifically designed to exceed the sortation screen aperture dimensions, creating an unambiguous size threshold that ensures reliable distinction and reclaim, while maintaining optimal weight efficiency for the application
4Reliability
If the container volume is increased to ensure proper screen blocking, then sortation reliability improves, but the container cannot be efficiently recovered and reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes to optimize the container dimensions, achieving the minimum necessary volume to block passage through sortation screens while maintaining efficiency for recovery and reuse. The dimensional parameters are carefully selected to provide sufficient screen blocking capability without excessive volume that would reduce recovery efficiency, balancing sortation reliability with productive material recovery
Data Source
AI summary
A container includes a floor, a side wall arranged to extend upwardly from the floor, and a filler neck coupled to an upper end of the side wall and arranged to extend upwardly from the side wall. The container is sized to be reclaimed during a recycling process.