Thermoformed Storage Tray Impact Absorption Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging solutions for data storage devices, such as HDD and SSD, fail to adequately protect them from vibrations and external shock impacts during transportation, leading to potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A tray design with multiple impact absorption layers, comprising side and corner extensions providing a first layer of absorption and a central slotted structure offering a second layer, is used to form a packaging assembly with identical trays that enclose storage drives, utilizing a thermoforming material for enhanced flexibility and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional packaging solutions are used for data storage devices, then the packaging is simple and easy to manufacture, but the protection against vibrations and external shock impacts during transportation is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging tray is segmented into multiple functional zones: corner extensions at each corner, side extensions along the sides, and a central slotted structure in the middle. Each segment serves a specific protection function, with the corner and side extensions providing first-layer impact absorption and the central slotted structure providing a second layer of protection. This segmentation allows the packaging to address multiple protection needs simultaneously while maintaining a relatively simple monolithic construction from thermoformed material.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray design incorporates built-in cushioning features through the corner extensions, side extensions, and central slotted structure that are formed as integral parts of the tray before shipping. These extensions create air gaps and deformable zones that absorb impact energy beforehand, reducing the shock transmitted to the storage devices during transportation without requiring additional separate cushioning materials.
2Reliability
If multiple impact absorption layers are incorporated into the tray design, then shock protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple impact absorption layers (corner extensions, side extensions, and central slotted structure) are merged into a single monolithic tray component through thermoforming. This integration eliminates the need for separate assembly steps to attach multiple protective layers, as all features are formed simultaneously from a single sheet of thermoplastic material in one molding cycle, maintaining ease of manufacture while providing multi-layer protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray design utilizes parameter changes in the thermoforming process to create varying thickness regions and structural features from a uniform sheet material. By controlling the molding parameters, the corner extensions, side extensions, and central slotted structure are formed with appropriate geometric parameters to provide different levels of impact absorption in different zones, achieving complex protective functionality through parameter variation rather than structural complexity.
3Reliability
If the tray structure includes extensions and slotted structures for impact absorption, then shock value reduction is improved, but the tray uses more material increasing weight
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is constructed as a thin-walled structure from thermoplastic material with integrated flexible extensions (corner and side extensions) that deform to absorb impact energy. These thin-walled flexible features provide effective shock absorption through elastic deformation without requiring thick material sections or heavy rigid structures, thereby minimizing weight increase while maximizing protection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The central slotted structure creates a porous or honeycomb-like configuration within the tray that provides high strength-to-weight ratio and effective energy absorption. The slotted design allows the structure to collapse and deform in a controlled manner during impact, dissipating energy through the porous structure while using minimal material, thus reducing tray weight compared to solid non-slotted designs.
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 tray design effectively limits shock values to below 150 G during drop testing, ensuring the storage drives are protected from impact-related damage by distributing force over a longer duration, thus reducing the risk of damage during shipping.
Implementation Method 1
The side extensions and corner extensions provide a first layer of impact absorption for the packaging assembly. The tray top and tray sidewalls provide a second layer of impact absorption for the packaging assembly.
Implementation Method 2
The tray design effectively limits shock values to below 150 G during drop testing, ensuring the storage drives are protected from impact-related damage by distributing force over a longer duration
Data Source
AI summary
A tray for holding a plurality of storage drives includes a sheet of material formed to include: a plurality of tray sidewalls, each having a top edge and a bottom edge; a plurality of tray ends walls arranged relative to the plurality of tray sidewalls to define a plurality of corner regions, each tray end wall having a top edge and a bottom edge; at least one side extension included in each of the tray sidewalls; at least one corner extension included in a corner region; and a tray top spanning the tray sidewalls and the tray ends walls. The tray top includes a pair of top-side surfaces that extend inward from the top edge of a respective one of the tray sidewalls, and a central slotted structure spanning the top-side surfaces. The central slotted structure forms a plurality of slots, each configured to receive one of the plurality of storage drives.