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by contingencies 1255 days ago
After smoking a lot of weed, I have come up with a lot of ideas for a better box,” said Bellucci

Poor journalism to include this quote without a summary of the ideas engendered.

John Correll, a pizza-packaging inventor with 43 patents

https://patents.google.com/?inventor=John+Correll with his most recent box patent at https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/94/5f/ba/91947c3...

2 comments

I do so love patent language:

> However, it is essentially non-functional when incorporated within a box that has slanting, or obliquely-angled, walls. In this situation, the cup-holder strap assumes an abortive-looking non-level disposition within the corner section of the box....

Maybe the weed induced ideas weren't worth the effort?
Indeed. In all seriousness, in my reading so far the patents largely relate to vaguely inferred logistical and manufacturing process efficiencies which are difficult to fully grasp without a background in packaging design and manufacturing (I have a few years of experience but am no expert). Specific economic benefits are not discussed, probably a purposeful exclusion. Ballpark it seems the patents are talking about what will probably amount to roughly single digit percentage gains in material cost, manufacturing and shipping at most. Yet total box cost is such a small factor in each transaction that the gains are an invisible rounding error for all but the very largest operator (Dominos). From a design perspective, it seems that once you have flatpacked your boxes, if you require effectively untrained staff to perform assembly operations, the maximum complexity threshold for design (largely due to assembly process speed, training and error-potential) becomes the limiting factor.