Collapsible Wine Glass Drying Rack Assembly for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wine glass drying racks are often bulky, difficult to store, and can allow water to drip onto surfaces due to their design.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible wine glass drying rack assembly featuring a tray with vertical locks, a rotatable support mechanism, and a rack system that allows for easy assembly and compact storage, with components made from materials like polypropylene and electro-polished stainless steel to prevent sliding and facilitate water drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional wine glass drying racks are designed to hold multiple glasses, then the drying capacity is improved, but the rack becomes bulky and difficult to store
Solution Approach 1:
The drying rack is divided into multiple independent levels, with each level capable of holding multiple wine glasses. The tray structure is segmented into front and rear portions with intermediate supports, allowing each segment to function independently while contributing to the overall capacity. This segmentation enables the rack to maintain high drying capacity while allowing compact folding for storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack employs a nested folding mechanism where intermediate supports fold into the tray structure, and the entire rack can be collapsed into a compact form for storage. The supports are designed to nest within the tray when not in use, significantly reducing the storage volume while maintaining full drying capacity when deployed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the drying rack is designed with a stable structure to prevent sliding, then the stability is improved, but the rack becomes difficult to collapse for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is provided with textured surfaces at specific locations where wine glasses are held, creating localized high-friction zones that prevent sliding. The intermediate supports also feature textured surfaces at contact points. This localized texturing provides anti-sliding stability only where needed, while the rest of the structure remains smooth and easy to collapse for storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack transitions between two dynamic states: a stable deployed state where textured surfaces prevent glass sliding, and a collapsed storage state where the entire structure folds compactly. The intermediate supports are designed to be rigid during use for stability, but flexible enough to fold easily into the tray when storage is needed.
3Reliability
If the rack components are made from non-corrosive materials like polypropylene and electro-polished stainless steel, then the durability and water resistance are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rack combines polypropylene for the tray body with electro-polished stainless steel for the intermediate supports and locking mechanisms. This composite material approach leverages the corrosion resistance and flexibility of polypropylene while utilizing the strength and durability of stainless steel for load-bearing components. The electro-polishing process provides enhanced corrosion resistance and a smooth finish that prevents water accumulation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of using a wine glass drying assembly. The wine glass drying rack assembly includes a tray with a bottom, sides, and a vertical lock. The wine glass drying rack assembly further includes a support with a locking element, stems and a top extending between the stems, where the support is coupled to the vertical lock via the locking element and where the support is rotatable about the vertical lock of the tray. The wine glass assembly also includes a rack with two wine glass supports, where the two wine glass supports define a slot for receiving wine glasses, where the rack is coupled to the top of the support via loops and where the rack is rotatable about the top of the support.