Collapsible Shopping Cart With Telescoping Legs for Vehicle Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal shopping carts lack height-adjustable legs and additional wheels, making it difficult to transfer them into vehicles of varying heights, potentially causing damage or injury, and are not easily collapsible for vehicle loading.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible shopping cart system with telescoping legs and adjustable height, equipped with multiple wheels and actuators for smooth conversion between extended and collapsed conditions, allowing easy vehicle loading and featuring a removable cover and compartmentalization options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the shopping cart has a fixed basket height, then the structure is simple, but it becomes difficult to transfer the cart into vehicles of varying heights
Solution Approach 1:
The shopping cart implements a telescoping leg mechanism that allows the basket height to be dynamically adjusted. The legs can extend and retract to match different vehicle cargo area heights, transforming the fixed-structure cart into an adaptable system that responds to varying loading requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The shopping cart is divided into separable components including the basket, telescoping legs, and wheel assemblies. This segmentation allows the legs to be independently adjusted in length and the entire cart to be collapsed into a compact configuration for easy vehicle loading.
2Ease of operation
If the shopping cart is made collapsible, then it becomes easier to load into vehicles, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping legs are designed with nested segments that slide into one another, allowing the legs to collapse into a compact form. The wheel assemblies are also configured to nest within the leg structures, creating a space-efficient collapsed state that is easy to transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible mechanism incorporates movable joints and telescoping components that enable smooth transitions between extended and collapsed states. This dynamic design allows users to easily collapse the cart for loading and expand it for use without complex assembly procedures.
3Ease of operation
If additional wheels are added for ease of transferring, then the ease of operation improves, but the weight of the cart increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is segmented into multiple independent wheel assemblies distributed at strategic locations on the cart. This segmentation allows the weight to be distributed across multiple contact points, reducing the effective weight burden during transfer operations while maintaining overall cart weight efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The additional wheels are integrated into the telescoping leg structures, serving dual purposes of providing enhanced transfer capability and supporting the collapsed configuration. This dynamic integration ensures the wheels contribute to both operational ease and structural efficiency.
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
Enables easy adjustment to vehicle height, prevents damage, and facilitates safe, convenient loading into vehicles, accommodating various cargo areas and user preferences.
Implementation Method 1
a bearing having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is rotatably attached to the chassis, and the bearing is operable to control the motion of the second plurality of legs
Implementation Method 2
a first actuator having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the first plurality of legs, the second end is attached to the chassis or the basket, and the actuator is operable move the first plurality of legs from an extended condition to a collapsed condition
Implementation Method 3
the top end of the first plurality of legs is rotatably coupled to the chassis
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible cart system, comprising: a container having a front end and a back end, a chassis coupled with a bottom of the container, at least one first leg having a first end movable relative to the chassis and a second end, at least one first wheel coupled with the second end of the first leg, and a first actuator connected to the chassis and the first leg. The first actuator is configured to move the first leg relative to the chassis to alternate between a first position where the second end the first leg is fully extended away from the chassis and a second position where the first leg is substantially parallel with a bottom of the chassis.