Tapered Hinge Pin for Container Bale Arm Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container bale arms are difficult to assemble and disassemble, prone to slipping out of hinge eyes under load, and require separate recycling due to material differences, leading to strenuous assembly and removal challenges.
Innovation Solution
The container features bale arms with hinge pins that have inclined surfaces forming insertion and removal ramps, allowing easy assembly and disassembly by providing a wedge-like structure that can be easily inserted and removed from slots, and includes guiding grooves for precise alignment, ensuring stability and secure support during stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hinge portions are rounded and received in corresponding round openings or hinge eyes, then rotational movement is provided, but the bale arm may be bent due to load and the hinge portions may slip out of the hinge eyes
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connection is divided into two functional elements: the hinge eye (receiving element) and the hinge pin (inserted element with tapered portion). This segmentation allows the hinge pin to be inserted easily while providing secure retention through the tapered design that prevents slipping under load.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge pin features an asymmetric tapered portion that is smaller at the insertion end and larger at the retention end. This asymmetric geometry enables easy insertion while creating a secure, slip-proof connection under load, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If wall sections are bent apart to widen the slot and receive hinge portions, then assembly is enabled, but assembling the bale arm becomes strenuous and finding a hinge eye within the slot is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The container wall includes a pre-formed groove that guides the hinge pin during insertion. This preliminary guiding structure eliminates the need to bend wall sections apart and provides a clear path to the hinge eye, making assembly simple and intuitive without requiring forceful manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove acts as an intermediary guiding element between the slot opening and the hinge eye. It mediates the insertion process by providing a visual and physical guide, eliminating the difficulty of locating the hinge eye and the need to bend wall sections.
3Reliability
If bale arms provide secure and pivotable connection to container walls, then stability is achieved, but the bale arms are difficult to remove from the hinge eyes, particularly from the slots
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connection transitions from a static, permanent-like connection to a dynamic, controllable one. The tapered hinge pin provides secure retention under load but can be easily removed by applying force along the taper, enabling simple disassembly for repair or recycling while maintaining stability during use.
4Strength
If bale arms comprise different material than container (such as polypropylene including talcum, glass fibres or the like, or polyamide), then high load support and stability are achieved, but the bale arms and container have to be recycled separately
Solution Approach 1:
The bale arm is segmented into two parts: the main body (which can be made of different material for strength) and the hinge pin (which is made of a compatible material with the container). This segmentation allows the hinge pin to be removed and reused or recycled with the container, reducing recycling complexity while maintaining the strength benefits of using different materials for the main bale arm body.
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
This design simplifies the assembly and disassembly process, prevents bale arms from slipping out under load, and facilitates easy recycling by providing a secure yet removable connection, enhancing the usability and recyclability of the container system.
Implementation Method 1
the hinge pin slopes or tapers in a direction towards a slot opening such that a length of the hinge pin, at a side thereof facing towards the slot opening in the assembling position, is reduced compared to a side of the hinge pin which opposes the slot opening in order to provide an insertion ramp
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a container (1) having at least one bale arm (6) being pivotably supported in opposing side walls (3) in such a manner that it is movable between a stacking position, in which a transverse member (8) of the bale arm (6) extends between the opposing side walls (3) forming a support for a base (2) of another container stacked thereon, and a resting position in which the stacking member (8) is removed from the opening and rests against a resting wall portion of the container (1), wherein a hinge pin (7) is provided at each end portion (11) of the at least one bale arm (6) and is configured to be received in a respective hinge eye (5) inside of a respective slot (4) formed in each of the opposing container side walls (3), the hinge pin (7) having an end face (12) including an inclined surface, wherein in an assembling position of the bale arm (6), in which the transverse member (8) is arranged in the stacking position, the inclined surface of the end face (12) faces the slot (4) in an assembling direction in order to provide an insertion ramp for inserting the hinge pin (7) into the slot (4) and into the hinge eye (5) formed therein.