Tray Groove and Non-Slip Pad for Display Panel Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display panels are damaged due to collisions with surrounding components during transfer within a tray, leading to inefficiencies and stability issues during stacking and storage.
Innovation Solution
A tray design featuring a bottom portion with protrusion patterns and a sidewall portion that includes a groove, which reduces contact area between stacked trays and prevents sticking, while incorporating a non-slip pad to secure panels without additional parts, enhancing stability and preventing movement during transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If display panels are transferred within a tray without additional securing parts, then device complexity is reduced, but the panels may move and collide with surrounding components causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The tray's sidewall portion includes a groove that automatically engages with the display panel's sidewall during transfer, providing self-securing functionality without additional parts. The groove's geometry (with first and second side portions at different heights) creates a mechanical interlock that prevents panel movement and collision, making the tray self-sufficient for panel securing.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove acts as an intermediary structure between the tray and the display panel, mediating the interaction by providing a dedicated engagement feature. This groove structure facilitates secure coupling without requiring additional securing components, enabling reliable panel fixation through the tray's own structural feature.
2Productivity
If multiple trays are stacked for storage and transfer, then productivity is improved, but the trays may stick together due to increased contact area
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure extracts or removes the problematic full-contact sidewall surface, creating a dedicated engagement zone. By concentrating the interaction area to the groove region rather than the entire sidewall, the design reduces the contact area between stacked trays, preventing sticking while maintaining secure stacking for improved productivity.
3Reliability
If the tray is designed with specific groove structures to prevent panel movement, then panel stability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is segmented into distinct geometric features (first side portion, second side portion, groove bottom) with specific functional assignments. This segmentation allows each feature to be optimized independently for its function (engagement, clearance, positioning), making the overall design more robust to manufacturing variations and reducing the need for extremely tight tolerances across the entire groove.
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 improves product efficiency by reducing damage to display panels, minimizing manufacturing costs, and increasing productivity through reduced tray purchases and simplified handling, allowing for the use of the tray for various products without the need for additional molds.
Implementation Method 1
each of the bottom portion and the sidewall portion includes a base tray, an adhesive layer, and a non-slip pad, which are sequentially stacked
Data Source
AI summary
A tray includes a bottom portion including a plurality of protrusion patterns and a sidewall portion protruded from the bottom portion. The sidewall portion includes a first side portion provided with a groove defined therein and extending from the bottom portion, an upper surface extending from the first side portion to a direction away from the bottom portion in a plan view, and a second side portion extending from the upper surface and facing the first side portion.