Collapsible Container With Retractable Walls For Grocery Merchandising
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current grocery item transportation methods require labor-intensive unloading and reorientation of metal crates for customer access, which limits efficiency and accessibility in store displays.
Innovation Solution
Collapsible containers with retractable walls that can be stacked and reconfigured to provide visibility and accessibility to products, allowing for flexible orientation and easy access without the need for specific directional placement, utilizing a base and multiple pivotable walls that can be latched into various positions for support and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If metal crates are used for transporting grocery items, then the items can be transported efficiently, but labor is required for unloading and reorienting the crates for customer access
Solution Approach 1:
The container walls are made dynamically reconfigurable through retractable panels that can be pulled outward along tracks and locked at various positions. This allows the container to transition from a closed transport state to an open display state, eliminating the need for manual unloading and reorientation of entire crates.
Solution Approach 2:
The container walls are segmented into multiple retractable panels that can be independently moved. Each panel can be selectively retracted to create openings for customer access while maintaining the structural integrity of the container frame, reducing the labor required for merchandising.
2Area of stationary object
If containers are stacked in the store, then space is utilized efficiently, but customer access to products becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable wall panels allow containers to be stacked for space efficiency while maintaining accessibility. Customers can pull panels outward from stacked containers to access products without moving the entire container or requiring specific orientation, as the panels can be retracted from any position.
3Strength
If containers have fixed walls, then structural support is maintained, but visibility and accessibility to products are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The walls are segmented into fixed structural frames and retractable panel sections. The frames maintain structural support while the panels can be moved to create visibility and accessibility openings, resolving the contradiction between strength and product access.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractable panels are extracted from the fixed wall structure, allowing them to be moved independently. This separates the structural support function (performed by the frames) from the access control function (performed by the movable panels), enabling both strength and accessibility.
4Stability of the object's composition
If containers require specific orientation when stacked, then stacking stability is improved, but flexibility in store placement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container design provides universal functionality for stacking in any orientation. The retractable panels can be accessed from any direction, and the stacking interface is designed to work regardless of orientation, allowing containers to be placed flexibly in stores while maintaining stacking 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
Enables efficient unloading and merchandising of grocery items directly from the container, reducing labor requirements and enhancing product visibility and accessibility, as the containers can be easily reconfigured to accommodate stacked positions and customer access without the need for specific orientation.
Implementation Method 1
a base and a plurality of walls including a first wall and an adjacent second wall. The first wall and the second wall each include a U-shaped frame hingeably secured to the base
Implementation Method 2
at least one section pivotably secured to the respective frame to selectively restrict and facilitate access to an interior of the container
Implementation Method 3
A frame latch selectively secures the frame of the first wall to the frame of the second wall. The frames lock together to provide sufficient support to multiple similar loaded container stacked thereon.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a collapsible container includes a base and a plurality of walls including a first wall and an adjacent second wall. The first wall and the second wall each include a U-shaped frame hingeably secured to the base and at least one section pivotably secured to the respective frame to selectively restrict and facilitate access to an interior of the container. A frame latch selectively secures the frame of the first wall to the frame of the second wall.