Corrugated Tray Side Wall Concave Section Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Trays used in retail shops for displaying articles face stability issues when long or heavy, particularly in pushfeed systems, leading to collapsing or breaking, and existing solutions like thicker cardboard or higher side walls increase costs and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A tray design featuring side walls with a concave section that enhances flexibility and bendability, allowing easy opening and placement on shelves without significant material increase, using E-flute or S-flute corrugated cardboard, and a method to open and place the tray on a pushfeed system by bending the side walls laterally outwards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thicker cardboard or higher side walls are used to increase tray stability, then the tray can support heavy loads without collapsing, but the material costs increase and environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls are provided with a concave section that introduces curvature into the otherwise linear structure. This concave section has a minimum point at a height H2 above the bottom wall, where H2/H1 ratio ranges from 0.60 to 0.90. The curved geometry creates structural reinforcement similar to how arches distribute loads, allowing the tray to support heavy articles (1.5-2 kg) without requiring thicker cardboard or higher side walls.
2Ease of operation
If an opening is provided in the back wall or bottom wall for pusher plate access, then articles can be pushed forward in the system, but the tray loses strength and may collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The concave section in the side walls provides structural reinforcement that compensates for the strength loss caused by openings in the back wall or bottom wall. The curved geometry distributes stresses more effectively, allowing tear strips to be removed for pusher plate access while maintaining tray stability under heavy loads.
3Strength
If the tray width is increased to improve stability, then the tray can support heavy loads, but the tray no longer fits existing pushfeed system guiderails
Solution Approach 1:
The concave section provides vertical structural reinforcement through curvature rather than horizontal expansion. This allows the tray to maintain its standard width for guiderail compatibility while achieving enhanced load-bearing capacity through the geometric strengthening effect of the concave profile.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing tray width (horizontal dimension) to improve stability, the solution introduces a vertical dimensional feature - the concave section with its minimum at height H2. This transforms the stability enhancement from a horizontal to a vertical solution, maintaining compatibility with existing pushfeed system guiderails while achieving the required load support.
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 provides stability for long or heavy loads without increasing material thickness, allowing trays to hold 1.5 to 2 kg without collapsing, and can be used in pushfeed systems without widening the trays, maintaining compatibility with existing guiderails.
Implementation Method 1
the first and/or the second side wall is/are provided with a concave section (109) enhancing a flexibility and/or a bendability of the first and/or the second side wall (105, 106)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tray for holding and displaying articles. The tray comprises a bottom part comprising a bottom wall (102), a front wall (103) and a back wall (104) and a first and a second side wall. At least one of the first or the second side wall has a straight upper edge oriented parallel to the bottom wall at a height H1 above the bottom wall (102). The straight upper edge is provided with a concave section. The invention further relates to the use of such a tray to feed a pushfeed system. Furthermore the invention relates to a method to open and place such a tray on a shelf, in particular in a pushfeed system.