Collapsible Rack Assembly with Nesting Shelves for Compact Shipping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible rack assemblies are structurally weak, prone to wobbling, and inefficient in space utilization during shipping, leading to disadvantages for manufacturers and supply chains.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible rack assembly design featuring vertical supports and elongated shelves with notch apparatuses that allow for nesting, enhancing structural stability and space savings by enabling efficient stacking and compact packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If rack assemblies are made collapsible to save shipping space, then space efficiency improves, but structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by allowing shelves to be inserted into vertical supports and other shelves when the rack is in collapsed position. The corner regions of shelves are designed with receiving structures that accommodate portions of adjacent shelves, enabling compact stacking without compromising the integrity of individual components during shipping.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack assembly is divided into discrete modular components including vertical supports, shelves with corner regions, and connecting elements. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for both structural strength and compact nesting, with standardized interfaces that maintain strength while enabling space-efficient collapse configurations.
2Ease of operation
If rack assemblies are made collapsible for easy storage, then ease of operation improves, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rack is pre-configured with alignment features, guide surfaces, and predetermined nesting positions that automatically guide components into correct positions during collapse and assembly. This preliminary design of geometric constraints ensures that users can easily collapse and assemble the rack without complex alignment procedures, while the pre-designed structural paths maintain stability throughout the operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The nesting design incorporates stabilizing features where shelves nest within vertical supports and each other in predetermined orientations. The corner regions include reinforcing elements and interlocking features that maintain structural stability in the collapsed state while allowing easy manipulation during the nesting process.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible rack assembly includes a vertical support, a first elongated shelf having a first corner region and a rail extending therefrom, and a second elongated shelf including a second corner region having a notch apparatus. The vertical support is structured to extend between and support the first and second elongated shelves when the collapsible rack assembly is in an ASSEMBLED position. The notch apparatus is configured to receive the rail in order to allow the first elongated shelf to nest within the second elongated shelf when the collapsible rack assembly is in a COLLAPSED position.