Adjustable Pusher Plate for Narrow Shelf-Ready Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing goods feed devices for shelf-ready packaging systems face challenges with narrow shelf spacings, making it difficult to easily place second or third boxes or trays behind the pusher device, and the two-part design is prone to losing parts, rendering the device unusable.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable pusher plate connected to the slide housing via a connecting piece, allowing the plate to pivot into a lower position, combined with a front anchor and skids for stability and a film hinge axis for easy assembly and maintenance-free operation, ensuring the device remains functional.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the pusher plate is made high to provide sufficient pushing surface area, then the pushing function is improved, but it becomes difficult to place boxes or trays on deep retail shelves with narrow shelf spacings
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher plate is made dynamically adjustable in height through a telescopic mechanism. The plate can be positioned in a raised state during the pushing operation to provide sufficient surface area, and then lowered to a reduced height to facilitate easy placement of boxes or trays on deep retail shelves with narrow shelf spacings. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining large pushing surface area and enabling easy operation in confined spaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pusher plate is made as a separate two-part design, then the height can be adjusted, but loose parts can easily be lost rendering the device unusable
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic pusher plate mechanism is integrated into a single unified structure where the plate and its support components form an interconnected assembly. This merging of parts ensures that even if the device is disassembled, all components remain attached to each other, preventing loss of loose parts while maintaining the height adjustability function.
Solution Approach 2:
The pusher plate is designed with a nested telescopic structure where one component is inserted within another. This nesting arrangement allows the plate to be compact when lowered while maintaining all functional components integrated together, preventing part loss and ensuring reliable operation throughout the device's service life.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the pusher plate is made fixed at high position, then the pushing function is stable, but the shelf capacity is reduced and shelves above cannot be arranged closely
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher plate transitions from a fixed high position to a dynamically adjustable position. When pushing is required, the plate is raised to provide stable pushing function. When not in use, the plate is lowered to reduce the overall device height, enabling shelves above to be arranged more closely together, thereby significantly increasing the capacity of the retail shelving system.
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
This design reduces the overall height of the device, allowing easier placement of boxes or trays on deep retail shelves, increases shelf capacity, and prevents accidental loss or damage, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of manual stocking.
Implementation Method 1
a slide housing with a roller spring that is rolled up therein
Implementation Method 2
the axis is designed as a film hinge
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The functionality and effectiveness of a goods advancing device for a front cardboard box or goods tray of several cardboard boxes or goods trays of a shelf-ready packaging system arranged one behind the other on a shelf of a display rack or storage rack, said cardboard boxes or goods trays having goods or packagings of goods stored therein, said goods advancing device comprising a pushing plate for the goods on a slide housing, are improved further and manual shelf stocking of deep sales racks having tight shelf spacings and several cardboard boxes or goods trays stored one behind the other is made substantially easier, which is achieved in that the pushing plate (4) is fixed to the slide housing (5) so as to be height adjustable and can be moved from an erect functional position to a flattened position.