Stackable Tray Undulation for Manual Unstacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stackable trays with a reduced stacking pitch are difficult to manually unstack due to the decreased space between trays, making it hard for users to engage their fingers or nails to separate them.
Innovation Solution
The lower peripheral sidewalk of each tray develops a periodic undulation, allowing peaks to correspond with recesses in adjacent trays, creating increased spaces for easier unstacking, even with a low stacking pitch, and incorporating indexing means for rotational alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the stacking pitch is reduced to increase compactness, then the volume of the stack is reduced, but the space for finger engagement decreases making manual unstacking difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lower peripheral rim is segmented into periodic undulations with peaks and troughs, creating discrete engagement points. This segmentation allows fingers to engage at specific locations (peaks) without requiring large overall spacing, thus maintaining compact stacking while enabling manual unstacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral rim has non-uniform local geometry with alternating peaks and troughs. The peaks provide localized protrusions for finger engagement, while the troughs provide corresponding recesses in adjacent trays. This local quality variation enables manual unstacking at specific points without increasing the overall stacking pitch.
2Quantity of substance
If the stacking pitch is reduced to present more trays, then the number of trays per stack increases, but the space between trays decreases making it hard to insert fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves the engagement feature from the vertical dimension (overall stacking pitch) to the horizontal dimension (circumferential undulations). By creating peaks and troughs around the perimeter, sufficient finger engagement space is provided in the horizontal plane without increasing the vertical stacking pitch, allowing more trays to be stacked vertically.
3Ease of operation
If periodic undulations are added to the lower peripheral rim, then spaces for finger engagement are created, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The periodic undulations are formed in the thin-walled peripheral rim structure, utilizing the flexibility and formability of thin plastic materials. This allows complex-shaped undulations to be created through standard thermoforming or molding processes without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity or material usage.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Assembly (100) comprising a first and a second stackable tray (1, 1'), each comprising an upper peripheral walkway (8) extending radially outwards from the top of a lateral peripheral wall of the container (6), a peripheral drop (9) extending from the upper peripheral walkway (8) away from the opening plane (PO), and a lower peripheral walkway (10) projecting radially outwards from the bottom of the peripheral drop (9). The lower peripheral walkway (10) of each tray (1, 1') develops, over at least part of its length, in a periodic undulation defining an alternation of peaks (S) and troughs (C).