Disney gags on "Ho White" beer
This week's great games
On the IDSA Materials and Processes blog, a fascinating look at a one-piece plastic latch designed to close large cardboard boxes, like the ones giant TVs come in.
What's That?: Plastic Cardboard Box LatchIt's passed though a hole that goes through two walls of corrugated (the top and the bottom) and then the two locking surfaces are pushed inward, hooking onto the backside of the inside of the carton. The latch is locked in place with a snap, which can be opened by squeezing...
Okay, now for a few points of interest: This part takes advantage of polypropylene's flexibility - particularly for snaps and living hinges. The image below shows the part in the position it's molded in. Part of the mold comes from underneath and part from the top, but they meet in the middle at a "bypass" to create a break between the two moving parts. Except they leave a little bit of flash to connect they (and probably to improve the flow of the material in the mold). That flash is broken with the latch is used for the first time...
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Metal Stamping is fascinating too! Progressive stamping...
One of the device I have to service comes in a box that uses these exact box-latche-handles.
The first time I examined it, I was very impressed. Multi-functional and it saves having to use a lot of packing tape. It knocking the box apart for recycling a breeze. It's a great design!
We are the biggest bunch of geeks. Anywhere.
I kept the box and all packing materials for my TV, so when I moved, these were re-used! I'm sure the seal isn't as strong, but for a simple-cross town move, they work well. Keeping them for the next time too.
I'm totally NERDING OUT on this!
I work in manufacturing and have some idea as to how these things are made. I appreciate any product that takes advantage of some property of plastic besides it's ability to mimic a surface like wood. The cosmetics industry is the heaviest user of cool plastic design, but for some of the best all time tech sexy mold making; take a close look at the hubs in a "Zome System" building kit.
As a alternative viewpoint, also from a nerd who tends to appreciate stuff like this... Take a look at The Story Of Stuff or an article or two on the garbage patch floating in the pacific ocean, and then come back here and describe how you feel about this. No doubt it's a clever design, but unfortunately it's yet another vector for delivering polypropylene (a plastic that doesn't tend to be recycled, despite its common use in bottle caps) into the environment. Is this really necessary?
The really creative minds should be focusing on how to reduce the number of these items we manufacture, not invent more opportunities to make an object we use once and throw out. Why not make a shape that punches and folds into that cardboard hole itself? Or skip it and use plain old flaps and paper tape?
Sorry, nothing beats the Handy Bundler
http://www.seenontvproducts.net/handybundler/index.html
I have two of these latches on the box that my computer shipped in (which I keep, of course, for easy and safe transport). They are indeed interesting and well-engineered little pieces of plastic.
#5 - I understand your concern regarding the junk possibilities of this plastic, but shouldn't the discussion be more about why we don't recycle the plastic rather than trying to find another way to invent the wheel?
Cory... nerding out with the plastics, much?
as per usual, BB and my life are converging... a few days after the extruded plastics post one of my good friends gets a job at a plant where they make the big wheelie bins and other bits of molded plastics.
Which he now regrets telling me, as I force him to laboriously recount ALL the processes involved.
I've not been this interested in plastics since I first learnt about polymers in high school science.