Trolley, collapsible top unit, and means of passenger transport
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trolleys lack flexible storage solutions and effective advertising capabilities, particularly in aircraft and railway settings, where additional storage space and discreet item display are needed without compromising the trolley's appearance or functionality.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible top unit for trolleys that can be converted from a storage state to an upright position, providing additional storage space while allowing for partial screening of items and integration of electronic visual displays for dynamic advertising, which can be easily modified and reused across different situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If a collapsible top unit is added to provide additional storage space, then storage capacity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The top unit is divided into a base part and multiple collapsible side wall parts that can be independently folded. This segmentation allows the storage capacity to be expanded when needed while maintaining a compact form when collapsed, resolving the contradiction between storage volume and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The side walls are designed to be dynamically collapsible rather than fixed, allowing the structure to transition between expanded and compact states. This dynamic capability provides additional storage space when required while minimizing the structural footprint during storage, addressing the contradiction between storage capacity and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If side walls are made opaque for discreet item display, then advertising flexibility is improved, but light transmission is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the side walls have different optical properties - some areas are opaque for discreet display while other areas may be transparent or translucent for advertising purposes. This local differentiation allows the structure to simultaneously achieve advertising flexibility and controlled light transmission depending on the specific display needs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If electronic visual displays are integrated into side walls, then advertising capabilities are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the collapsible mechanism, offer opaque barriers for discreet display, and simultaneously serve as mounting surfaces for electronic visual displays. This multi-functionality integrates advertising capabilities into the existing structure without requiring separate dedicated components, thereby reducing the overall system complexity.
4Volume of moving object
If the top unit is made collapsible for compact storage, then space efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible mechanism is designed to be self-latching or self-locking through mechanical interlocks that automatically engage when the side walls are folded. This self-service feature reduces the need for precision-adjustable fasteners or complex alignment mechanisms, thereby lowering manufacturing precision requirements while still achieving compact storage efficiency.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Trolley (1), such as an airplane trolley or a railway trolley, comprising a substantially box-shaped main body (10) having a top side (10') provided with a recess (20) which defines a peripheral wall at least partly circumscribing the top side. The trolley is provided with a collapsible top unit (100) arranged for releasable placement on top of the trolley's main body. Said collapsible top unit is arranged to be collapsible from an upright state, in which a base part of the top unit is received at least partly within the recess and one or multiple side walls are extending upwards away from said base part, preferably defining a storage compartment therebetween, into a storage state, in which the top unit is collapsed, preferably in a manner such that one or multiple parts of the top unit defining the one or multiple upward extending side walls in the upright state are preferably substantially parallel with the base part when the top unit is collapsed. Advantageously, at least one of the one or multiple side walls can be provided with an electronic visual display.