Beverage Cooler Shelf Design for Adaptable Container Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beverage coolers often have shelf configurations that are not adaptable to different sizes and types of beverage containers, limiting their versatility in maintaining optimal storage conditions for various beverages.
Innovation Solution
A wine cooler apparatus with configurable shelves that include rotatable and adjustable front portions, resilient inserts with horizontally spaced projections, and movable bottle neck props, allowing for multiple orientations and positions to accommodate various container sizes and types without interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed shelf configurations are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the adaptability to different beverage container sizes and types is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is divided into a back portion and a front portion that can be independently positioned. The front portion can be rotated to different angles (flat, tilted, vertical) while the back portion remains fixed to support bottles. This segmentation allows the shelf to adapt to different container types without redesigning the entire shelf structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The front portion of the shelf is made rotatable about a horizontal axis, allowing it to dynamically change between flat, tilted, and vertical positions. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the same shelf to accommodate various beverage container orientations and sizes, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If bottles are stored in tilted configuration for optimal display and access, then viewing and retrieval are improved, but the shelf space utilization and stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the front and back portions of the shelf, the design allows the back portion to provide stable support for bottles while the front portion can be tilted for optimal viewing and access. This segmentation enables bottles to be stored at angles that improve ease of operation without compromising the stability provided by the fixed back support.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf combines two functional elements: a fixed back support structure that ensures stability and a rotatable front portion that optimizes accessibility and display. This merging of stable support with flexible positioning resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple shelf configurations are provided for different container types, then versatility is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable front portion serves multiple functions: it can be positioned flat for horizontal storage, tilted for angled display, or vertical for bottle neck support. This single multi-functional component replaces what would otherwise require multiple different shelf designs, achieving versatility without proportionally increasing component count.
Solution Approach 2:
A single dynamic rotatable joint allows one shelf unit to assume multiple configurations suitable for different beverage container types. This dynamic element provides universal adaptability without requiring multiple static shelf designs, resolving the contradiction between versatility and component complexity.
4Strength
If the front portion of shelves is extended for better bottle support, then bottle holding capability is improved, but interference with adjacent shelves and bottle neck access is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable front portion can be extended forward when needed to provide strong bottle support, then rotated back when adjacent shelves need access to bottle necks. This dynamic adjustment allows the shelf to adapt its support strength based on the specific storage configuration, resolving the contradiction between holding strength and compatibility with adjacent arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the front portion a separate rotatable segment rather than a fixed extension, the design allows independent adjustment of support provision. The front portion can be positioned to provide maximum support strength when needed, or retracted to accommodate adjacent shelf requirements, resolving the contradiction between support strength and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary beverage cooler (100) includes an interior area (104) which has a plurality of beverage container supporting shelves (116). The exemplary shelves each include a front portion (122) and a back portion (124). The front portion includes a plurality of bottle engaging recesses (136) and the back portion includes a plurality of bottle engaging recesses (154). The bottle engaging recesses are configured for holding bottles (138, 162). A plurality of bottle neck props (168) are selectively movable between raised and lowered positions. Each bottle neck prop is configured for engaging a neck of a respective bottle 138 such that the bottle is held tilted at an acute angle to horizontal.