Article divider assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional preassembled shower door assemblies limit design choices and require large, cumbersome packaging, making it difficult for consumers to customize and replace individual components, and pose challenges in inventory management and transportation due to their weight and footprint.

Innovation Solution

A retail display system with modular, individually packaged components and article divider assemblies that allow for customizable configurations by separating glass panes, tracks, and hardware, using support brackets and divider members to manage weight and prevent leaning, while allowing for easy selection and replacement of parts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If preassembled shower door assemblies are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but design customization and component replacement are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign customizationVSAvoidassembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shower door assembly is divided into separate modular components including glass panes, tracks, and hardware that can be individually packaged, selected, and replaced. This segmentation enables customers to customize their assemblies by mixing and matching components while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If preassembled shower door assemblies are used, then complete functionality is provided, but transportation and inventory management become cumbersome due to weight and footprint

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinventory management efficiencyVSAvoidtransportation weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the shower door into individually packaged components (glass panes, tracks, hardware), the system reduces the footprint and weight of each individual package, making transportation and inventory management more efficient while allowing customers to assemble only the components they need.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If modular components are separated for customization, then design flexibility is improved, but structural stability during display and installation may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent selection flexibilityVSAvoiddisplay stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Article divider assemblies with support brackets and divider members are introduced as intermediary structures to hold and stabilize the modular shower door components during display. These dividers prevent leaning and maintain upright positioning, ensuring structural stability while allowing customers to access and select individual components for customization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10413094B2Article divider assembly

Publication Date: 2019.09.17 LIBERTY HARDWARE MFG CORP

AI summary

An article divider assembly is provided with a support bracket adapted to be mounted to a retail display. A divider member extends from the support bracket and is sized to extend between a pair of articles at an upper region of the pair of articles to divide the articles without blocking an outward face of the articles. The divider member comprises a proximal end mounted to the support bracket and a distal end extending away from the support bracket. A display bracket is mounted to the distal end of the divider member.