Top-Handle Box Assembly for One-Handed Erection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Assembling boxes often requires manual labor and multiple steps, which can be costly and time-consuming, and typical boxes may need two hands for positioning or grasping.
Innovation Solution
A box assembly with a top handle that is foldable between pre-erected and erected configurations, and a support assembly that facilitates easy assembly by sliding the box blank into a support structure, allowing for one-handed operation and reducing assembly steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional box assembly methods are used, then the box can be assembled, but it requires multiple assembly steps and manual labor which is costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The box blank is pre-configured with all necessary folds, creases, and structural features before assembly. The handle is pre-formed and attached to the top panel, and the cam mechanism is pre-integrated into the sidewall panels. This preliminary preparation allows the box to be assembled in a single rapid motion without multiple manual folding or joining steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The box assembly mechanism uses the bottom panel itself as a cam that automatically engages with the sidewall panels during the assembly process. When downward force is applied to the bottom panel, it naturally cams the sidewalls into their final vertical position without requiring external tools or multiple manual operations. The structure assembles itself through the inherent geometry of its components.
2Ease of operation
If traditional box assembly methods are used, then the box can be assembled, but it requires positioning two hands underneath the box or grasping from opposing sides
Solution Approach 1:
The support assembly acts as an intermediary device that holds the box blank in a predetermined position during assembly. It provides guides and surfaces that direct the folding action, eliminating the need for the operator to manually position and align multiple components. The support assembly mediates between the operator's single hand and the complex folding requirements of the box structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly process is segmented into distinct functional zones: the support assembly provides positioning and guiding functions, the cam mechanism provides the folding action, and the handle provides the gripping surface. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, enabling one-handed operation without requiring the operator to manage all aspects of assembly simultaneously.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual assembly steps are used, then the box can be assembled, but it is costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The box structure incorporates a self-assembling mechanism where the bottom panel acts as a cam that automatically folds the sidewalls into their final position when downward force is applied. This eliminates the need for multiple manual assembly steps, tools, or complex positioning operations, allowing rapid one-handed assembly that significantly improves productivity while maintaining simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A box includes a plurality of sidewall panels; a bottom panel arranged at a bottom end of the sidewall panels; and a top panel arranged at a top end of the sidewall panels; wherein each sidewall panel is hingedly coupled to an adjacent sidewall panel by a foldable gusset.