Stackable Containers with External RFID Platforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for storing and inventorying multiple agricultural product containers lack efficiency in maintaining storage and inventory, particularly in facilitating the reading of RFID tags on stacked containers.
Innovation Solution
A container system with a housing assembly and slot assemblies that allow for efficient stacking and RFID tag reading, featuring a trapezoidal shape for containers with a discharge valve mechanism that ensures secure and quick installation and exchange of both liquid and dry product containers, along with a mechanism for simultaneous closure of discharge valves to prevent leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If containers are stacked for storage and inventory, then storage efficiency is improved, but RFID tag reading becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions RFID tags on external surfaces of containers that are accessible when stacked, transitioning the tag location to a different spatial dimension. The tags are placed on the outer perimeter surfaces rather than hidden internal surfaces, allowing reading devices to access tags on stacked containers without requiring container separation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If containers are designed with trapezoidal shape for stable stacking, then stacking stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric trapezoidal container shapes with specific slope configurations on different sides. The containers have non-uniform geometries with different slope angles on opposing faces, which when stacked create stable interlocking arrangements. This asymmetric design provides inherent stacking stability while maintaining manufacturability through standard molding processes.
3Reliability
If discharge valves are designed for secure closure to prevent leakage, then product containment is improved, but valve operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge valve system incorporates self-closing mechanisms and automatic sealing features that reduce the need for complex manual operation. The valve design includes spring-loaded seals and gravity-assisted closure that automatically engage when the container is properly positioned, providing reliable product containment while simplifying the operational complexity through self-actuating features.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for stacking containers each container of a type having a front face having a truncated trapezoidal shape, a rear face having a truncated trapezoidal shape, a top base, a bottom base, a first vertical side adjacent to the top base, a second vertical side adjacent to the top base, a first sloped side between the first vertical side and the bottom base, a second sloped side between the second vertical side and the bottom base. A discharge valve projects from the bottom base where the first vertical side defines a platform for supporting an RFID tag. The containers are configured to be stackable in a manner to provide simultaneous reading of the multiple RFID tags on the platforms.