Collapsible Cart Pivot Mechanism for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carts are not sturdy or easily deployable, making them inadequate for transporting items over short distances, particularly for elderly, arthritic, or physically disabled individuals, and they do not collapse into a compact size for efficient storage.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible cart design featuring a frame with a handle, pivotally affixed to a base and bracket, allowing the basket to adjust in height and fold for compact storage, with wheels for easy movement and a ring handle for gripping, along with recesses for small items, fabricated from durable and economical materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a cart is designed to be foldable, then it can be stored in compact spaces, but its structural strength and sturdiness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cart employs dynamic folding mechanisms where the basket, handle, and base can transition between extended and collapsed positions. The basket is foldable along its length and height, the handle pivots at the top of the frame, and the base folds at the bottom, allowing the cart to adapt its configuration based on storage or usage needs while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart is divided into distinct segmentable components: the basket is segmented into foldable sections that can collapse along its length and height, the handle is a separate pivotable segment, and the base is a detachable or foldable segment. This segmentation allows each part to be independently folded or collapsed, reducing overall volume while maintaining the strength of individual components.
2Ease of operation
If a cart is designed to be easily deployable, then ease of operation improves, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cart utilizes dynamic pivoting and folding mechanisms that enable easy deployment through simple user actions. The handle pivots at the top of the frame allowing easy positioning, the basket can be quickly folded and unfolded, and the base can be detached or folded for storage. These dynamic features provide ease of operation while the rigid connections and proper pivot points maintain structural stability during use.
3Reliability
If a cart is made sturdy and durable, then reliability improves, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cart design incorporates parameter changes in the form of adjustable components. The basket can be adjusted in height and folded along its length, the handle can pivot and be positioned at different angles, and the base can be detached or folded. These parameter changes allow the cart to maintain durability through robust construction while simplifying manufacturing by using standardized joints and connections that can be produced efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible cart. The collapsible cart includes a frame with a first end and a second end, and the frame secures to a bracket and a base. The collapsible cart further includes a basket that can hold large and small items, and wheels located on the underside of the base provide for easy movement of the cart. A handle, the bracket, and the base are each affixed to the frame via a pivot and can fold towards the frame forming a collapsed configuration. In this way, the collapsible cart can be easily transported and deployed at various locations typically inaccessible to vehicles.