Hanging Corner Shelf Assembly for Accessible Stall Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contemporary bathroom stalls lack convenient storage solutions, with hooks being unreliable and insufficient for accommodating multiple items, and often inaccessible for disabled individuals, who face challenges in placing their belongings due to lack of usable space and high hook locations.
Innovation Solution
A removable and easily installable hanging corner shelf assembly that can be suspended between two abutting surfaces, featuring adjustable members and shelf configurations to accommodate various items, with options for attachment mechanisms like hinges, adhesives, and fasteners, ensuring accessibility for both disabled and non-disabled users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hooks are installed on the back of the bathroom stall door for hanging items, then items can be hung, but the hooks are easily broken due to weight limitations and cannot accommodate multiple items
Solution Approach 1:
The storage function is divided into multiple components: corner shelf assembly for general storage, and multiple hanging members (hooks, bars) for suspended items. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific loads appropriately, preventing the failure mode of single overloaded hooks while providing versatile storage options.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional wall mounting (hooks on door) to three-dimensional corner space utilization. By installing shelves and hanging members in the corner vertical space, the system provides multiple storage levels and configurations that accommodate various item sizes and weights without overloading any single attachment point.
2Ease of operation
If hooks are positioned high on the bathroom stall door for accessibility, then they are within reach, but disabled individuals cannot access them
Solution Approach 1:
The hanging members are designed with adjustable positioning capabilities, allowing the storage system to be configured at different heights. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt to varying user needs, including wheelchair users who require lower access points, while maintaining structural integrity through proper load distribution across multiple attachment points.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner shelf assembly serves multiple functions: it provides storage surfaces at various heights, supports hanging members for suspended items, and can be configured to meet different accessibility requirements. This multi-functionality allows a single system to serve both able-bodied users and disabled individuals with different accessibility needs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a permanent storage structure is installed in the bathroom stall, then storage capacity increases, but installation complexity and damage to stall structures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The corner shelf assembly is pre-assembled with all necessary components (shelves, hanging members, fasteners) before installation. This preliminary preparation simplifies the installation process, allowing the system to be quickly installed in bathroom stalls without requiring complex on-site assembly or specialized tools, while still providing substantial storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner shelf assembly is designed as a removable, non-permanent installation that can be easily installed and removed without damaging the bathroom stall structure. This approach prioritizes ease of installation and removal over permanent fixation, allowing the storage system to be deployed in rental properties or temporary installations where permanent modifications are not feasible.
Data Source
AI summary
A hanging corner shelf assembly is provided which includes a first member and a second member, which diverge from one another. Each member includes a first side and a second side, an inner side and an outer side. The first and second members are configured for attachment to one another. The hanging corner shelf assembly further includes at least one shelf member extending from the first member and the second member, wherein a longitudinal axis of the at least one shelf member is generally perpendicularly oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of each of the first and second members and at least one hanging member is included, wherein the at least one hanging member is engageable to the first and/or second member.