Collapsible Shopping Cart with Detachable Basket and Telescopic Chassis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shopping carts do not allow for easy transport of items from the store to a vehicle without the need for shopping bags, as they are not collapsible, leading to the inconvenience of hand-carrying bags or unpacking items during transport.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible shopping cart design featuring a chassis with axles, telescopic beams, a cargo basket with hinged panels, and maneuvering wheels, allowing the cart to be easily folded and pushed into a vehicle, eliminating the need for shopping bags during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional rigid shopping cart is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but the cart cannot be easily transported into a vehicle without unpacking items or using shopping bags
Solution Approach 1:
The shopping cart is divided into separable components including a collapsible basket assembly and a chassis assembly. The basket can be detached from the chassis, allowing the lightweight basket to be easily carried into vehicles while the heavier chassis remains outside, eliminating the need to transport the entire cart structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart employs dynamic collapsing mechanisms where the basket panels can fold flat and the telescopic legs can retract. This transforms the rigid structure into a compact, portable configuration that fits easily into vehicle trunks or cargo areas, directly addressing the transport difficulty.
2Ease of operation
If a collapsible mechanism is added to enable easy transport, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple collapsing functions are merged into a single coordinated mechanism. When the release mechanism is activated, the basket panels fold, the telescopic legs retract, and the entire basket assembly collapses simultaneously onto the chassis, reducing the number of separate operations the user must perform.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic legs nest within each other during collapse, and the basket panels fold flat against the chassis frame. This nesting arrangement minimizes the collapsed volume and reduces the number of discrete components visible in the folded state, simplifying the overall structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the basket is made collapsible to fit in vehicles, then adaptability improves, but structural integrity during use may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The basket employs dynamic locking mechanisms that transition the structure from a collapsible state to a rigid locked state during use. Once assembled, the telescopic legs lock in place and the basket panels are secured, providing full structural integrity for carrying groceries while maintaining portability when collapsed.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket is pre-assembled in the store parking lot before the shopping trip begins. The telescopic legs are extended and locked, and the basket is attached to the chassis in advance, so that during the actual shopping and transport process, the user only needs to collapse and detach the already-assembled basket, not assemble it from components.
4Loss of substance
If shopping bags are eliminated by using the cart for transport, then loss of substance is reduced, but the cart design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shopping cart is designed with multi-functionality to serve both as a shopping container in the store and as a transport vehicle to the home. The collapsible basket and detachable design enable the cart to function as both a traditional shopping cart and a portable cargo carrier, eliminating the need for separate shopping bags and transport containers.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible shopping cart including a collapsible wheeled chassis and a cargo basket mounted thereto. The chassis has a pair of right and left side front and rear beams pivotably attached to a cargo basket floor panel which, in turn, is surrounded with a pair of longitudinal side wall panels, a front wall panel, and a rear panel hingedly attached on a bottom to the floor panel. Each of the front beams extend rearwardly beyond the rear panel and has a distal handle. The rear beams extend forwardly and attach at one end to a rear axle and at the other end to the floor panel. Each longitudinal side wall panel and the floor panel have extension portions extending beyond the rear panel. A maneuvering wheel is disposed on a distal end of the floor panel extension portion floor panel to roll the shopping cart into a vehicle's cargo area.