Container system with automatic alignment feature

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container systems, such as spice racks, often require users to manually align jars to face forward for identification, which is time-consuming and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A container system featuring shelves with teardrop-shaped protrusions and matching cavities on jars, allowing for automatic alignment of jars to face forward when stored, utilizing gravity to rotate misaligned jars into the correct orientation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If containers are returned to the cabinet quickly and placed randomly, then storage speed is improved, but the label orientation becomes unpredictable requiring manual realignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage speedVSAvoidlabel alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The container system employs asymmetric features including a non-circular container cross-section and corresponding asymmetric guide structures within the cabinet. This asymmetry ensures that containers can only be inserted in the correct orientation, with labels automatically facing forward, eliminating the need for manual realignment while maintaining quick storage speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-aligning mechanisms where the container's asymmetric shape and the cabinet's guide structures work together to automatically orient the container correctly during the storage process. The container self-corrects its orientation as it is placed in the cabinet, requiring no additional user action for label alignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If manual alignment is performed to ensure labels face forward, then identification efficiency is improved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelabel visibilityVSAvoidalignment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary alignment action during the container insertion process itself. The asymmetric guide structures and container design ensure that alignment is accomplished as part of the storage action, before the container is fully in place, eliminating the need for separate alignment steps and reducing time loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 quick and efficient access to containers by ensuring labels face forward, reducing the time spent searching for specific items.

Implementation Method 1

allowing for automatic alignment of jars to face forward when stored, utilizing gravity to rotate misaligned jars into the correct orientation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS11033121B1Container system with automatic alignment feature

Publication Date: 2021.06.15 EVERMILL INC

AI summary

An improved container system is capable of automatically aligning or orienting each container to face in a particular orientation. This allows the container to automatically face forward when it is stored, thus having, for example, the label face forward. Then a user will be more quickly able to find a particular container holding the contents the user is looking for. In a specific implementation, the container system is a spice rack.