Barrel Access Mechanism With Lifted Bottom Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accessing items at the bottom of large barrels is difficult for individuals who are small in stature, disabled, or elderly due to the height and depth of the containers, making it challenging to retrieve products as they are consumed.
Innovation Solution
A barrel with an access mechanism featuring a lifting mechanism that includes a piston, lifter base, foot actuator, and tether, which lifts a lower insert within the barrel to bring products closer to the top, reducing the effort required for removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a large barrel is used to store bulk liquid products, then storage capacity is improved, but accessibility to products at the bottom deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The barrel is divided into an upper insert and a lower insert that can move independently. The lower insert contains the product and can be lifted separately from the upper insert, allowing users to access products at the bottom without having to reach into the entire barrel depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower insert is made movable through a lifting mechanism that allows it to be raised and lowered within the barrel. This dynamic structure enables the product container to be positioned at different heights, making products accessible at various levels rather than fixed at the bottom.
2Quantity of substance
If the barrel height is increased to accommodate more product, then storage capacity is improved, but the effort required to retrieve products deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting mechanism is activated by a foot pedal that uses the user's body weight and leg movement to lift the lower insert. This self-service mechanism converts the user's natural movements into lifting force, eliminating the need for manual reaching and reducing the effort required to access products.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting mechanism incorporates a piston and tether system that uses mechanical advantage to lift the lower insert. The piston converts small input forces into larger lifting forces, reducing the effort needed to raise heavy product containers to accessible heights.
3Ease of operation
If a lifting mechanism is added to improve product accessibility, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting mechanism is extracted as a separate, modular assembly that can be independently installed and maintained. The piston, tether, and foot pedal are distinct components that can be serviced without replacing the entire barrel, reducing the practical complexity despite the added functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot pedal serves as an intermediary between the user and the lifting mechanism, translating simple foot pressure into complex piston motion. This intermediary simplifies the user interface while managing the mechanical complexity within the mechanism itself.
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
The lifting mechanism facilitates easy access to products at the bottom of barrels by lifting them to a more accessible height, accommodating users of varying abilities and reducing the effort needed to retrieve contents.
Implementation Method 1
a piston, lifter base, foot actuator, and tether that lifts the lower insert to bring the product closer to the top of the barrel
Data Source
AI summary
A barrel with access mechanism is a device by which bulk products and materials are more easily accessed and removed from large drum containers. The device provides the drum with an inner plastic liner. The liner would be made available in two formats. The first, used with liquids, fine powders and the like, would be made of an accordion like side material that collapses upon itself. The second version, used for larger bulk materials, would consist of two overlapping side liners that slide over one other. In both cases, as the material in the barrel is consumed or removed, the bottom of the barrel raises up so that material on the bottom can be more easily removed, even by those who are small in stature. The device is equipped with a motor that drives at least two threaded rods, synchronized together, which raise and lower the bottom. The device can be driven by 120 VAC or 12 VDC. At any time or when the material is completely removed, the bottom can be lowered allowing the barrel to be refilled.