Vertically-crushable container with symmetrical fold lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container technologies face issues with vertical crushing, as they either require external load application, result in air entry, or complicate manufacturing due to twisting and shape distortion, and fail to maintain the original outline when crushed.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring vertically-crushable units with mountain and valley fold lines in the side wall, allowing for symmetrical folding without twisting the upper and lower ends, maintaining the original shape and simplifying manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the container is crushed by applying external load after use, then the volume is reduced, but the crushed shape is restored upward due to elastic force when content remains, causing air to enter the container
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is divided into multiple vertically-crushable units, each containing mountain fold lines and valley fold lines formed by parallelograms. This segmentation allows controlled crushing through fold lines while maintaining sealing integrity, preventing the elastic restoration issue that causes air entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is pre-formed with specific fold line patterns (mountain and valley folds) during manufacturing. These pre-configured fold lines enable the container to be crushed vertically without restoring its shape, thereby preventing air from entering when content remains inside.
2Volume of moving object
If the container is crushed by twisting the upper end and the lower end, then the volume is reduced, but it cannot be crushed with one hand and the outline of the outer shape is not maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is divided into multiple vertically-crushable units with fold lines that enable one-handed vertical crushing. Each unit can be compressed independently through the fold lines, eliminating the need for two-handed twisting operations while maintaining the container's outline.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple parallelograms are stacked in tiers with common upper/lower sides, then the container structure is formed, but the ridge lines rotate or shift in the lateral direction, creating multiple discontinuous ridge lines that complicate manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The parallelograms in upper and lower tiers are arranged alternately to be line-symmetrical with respect to their common side. This asymmetric stacking pattern prevents ridge line rotation and shifting, ensuring continuous ridge lines on vertical planes and enabling simple mold splitting for manufacturing.
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
Enables efficient volume reduction without twisting the container ends, maintains the original shape, and simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing vertical crushing while preventing air entry and minimizing damage.
Implementation Method 1
Multiple vertically-crushable units are formed in the side wall, each unit of the multiple units including mountain fold lines formed by sides of parallelograms and valley fold lines formed by diagonal lines of the parallelograms
Data Source
AI summary
A container includes a bottom wall and a side wall. Multiple vertically-crushable units are formed in the side wall, each unit of the multiple units includes mountain fold lines formed by sides of parallelograms and valley fold lines formed by diagonal lines of the parallelograms, and the multiple units are stacked in tiers such that each pair of the parallelograms in upper and lower tiers have a common lower/upper side and the parallelograms in the upper and lower tiers alternately become line-symmetrical with respect to the common lower/upper side.