Adjustable Double-Upright Gondola for Higher Shelf Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional two-sided gondolas face challenges in adapting shelf surface area to varying item quantities and volumes, leading to increased bending stresses on uprights, which requires enlarging the upright sections and consoles, compromising stability.
Innovation Solution
The gondola features adjustable double vertical uprights with removable spacers that allow modification of shelf surface dimensions, concentrating load on the central part of the uprights to promote compressive work rather than bending, reducing the upright section size and material usage while maintaining stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the shelf surface area is increased to display more items, then the storage capacity is improved, but the bending stresses on the vertical uprights increase requiring larger upright sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the upright structure adjustable rather than fixed. The uprights can be reconfigured between single upright and double upright arrangements, allowing the gondola to dynamically adapt its structural strength to match the current storage capacity requirements. This adjustability transforms a static structure into a dynamic one that can optimize between storage capacity and structural strength as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of upright configuration from fixed to variable. By allowing the uprights to be adjusted between different configurations (single or double), the structural parameters can be changed to match the load requirements. This parameter change enables the system to reduce bending stresses by increasing structural support only when larger shelf surfaces are required.
2Strength
If the upright section size is increased to reduce bending stresses, then the structural strength is improved, but the material usage and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using permanently large upright sections, the patent employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the upright configuration to change based on requirements. The ability to convert between single and double upright arrangements provides the needed structural strength only when required, avoiding the constant material overhead and complexity of permanently oversized uprights.
3Force
If the console dimensions are increased to support larger shelf surfaces, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the device complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the console configuration dynamic rather than static. Consoles can be adjusted or reconfigured based on the shelf surface area requirements, allowing the load-bearing capacity to be optimized for each specific configuration rather than requiring all consoles to be permanently oversized to handle maximum potential loads.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention concerns a gondola (1) for displaying goods, used in particular in shops, comprising at least two vertical posts (3, 5, 7) arranged on the lateral sides, each vertical post (3, 5, 7) receiving at least two perpendicular fixed shelves (11, 13, 15, 17) facing each other on the vertical post (3, 5, 7), one (11, 13) extending forward (17) of the gondola (1) and the other (15, 17) extending rearward (29), the shelves of the two vertical posts (3, 5, 7) supporting a shelf rack (19) which has a display surface on which the goods are arranged. The invention is characterized in that said vertical posts (3, 5, 7) consist of a double vertical structure adjustable in width for modifying the display surface while preserving the original shelves (11, 13, 15, 17) and concentrating the load exerted by the goods on the central part of the shelf rack (19) and on the posts (3, 5, 7).