Shopping Cart Tip-Limiting Brake for Rear-Wheel Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shopping carts are prone to tipping, which poses safety risks to users and can result in product spillage due to accidental or intentional overload or misapplication of load, particularly when rotating about rear wheels.
Innovation Solution
A shopping cart equipped with a rotational brake extending radially outward from the rear wheel axis, contacting the ground to prevent excessive rotation and tipping by impeding the cart's movement beyond a predetermined angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shopping cart is designed to be maneuverable and allow rotation about rear wheels, then ease of operation is improved, but stability deteriorates and tipping risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
A rotational brake is introduced as an intermediary component between the rear wheel and the ground. The brake extends radially outward from the wheel's rotational axis and contacts the supporting surface to provide rotational resistance. This mediator allows the cart to be maneuverable while preventing excessive rotation and tipping by applying a counteracting force at the wheel-ground interface.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the rotational brake extends beyond the wheel perimeter to contact the ground, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotational brake is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides rotational braking to prevent tipping, maintains contact with the supporting surface to stabilize the cart, and can be integrated with the existing wheel assembly structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate stabilization components, thereby managing device complexity while achieving improved stability.
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 rotational brake effectively prevents the shopping cart from tipping excessively, reducing the risk of injury and product spillage by stabilizing the cart on uneven surfaces and preventing dangerous rotations.
Implementation Method 1
The rotational brake is configured to impede rotation of the shopping cart about the rotational axis by contacting the supporting surface
Data Source
AI summary
A shopping cart is configured to roll along a supporting surface and includes a chassis, a basket, a rear leg, a rear wheel, and a rotational brake. The basket is supported above the chassis. The rear leg extends downwardly from the chassis. The rear wheel is rotatably coupled to the rear leg and is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The rear wheel defines an outside perimeter configured to contact and roll along the supporting surface. A rotational brake is coupled to the rear leg and extending radially away from the rotational axis in a rearward and downward direction beyond an outside perimeter of the rear wheel. The rotational brake is configured to impede rotation of the chassis and the basket about the rotational axis.