Display rack

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display racks, particularly those made of cardboard, lack sufficient strength to support products with considerable weight while allowing high-quality printing on external surfaces, and often require extensive use of plant-based materials.

Innovation Solution

A display rack with a metal skeletal structure covered by a cardboard outer cover, featuring mounting sockets and flaps that wrap around crosspieces, allowing for interchangeable covers and shelves with metal brackets for enhanced stability and printability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If cardboard material is used for the display rack, then printing quality on external surfaces is improved, but structural strength to support heavy products deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprinting qualityVSAvoidstructural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The display rack combines cardboard outer covers with a metal skeletal structure. The cardboard provides printable surfaces while the metal frame provides structural strength, resolving the contradiction between printability and load-bearing capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The rack is divided into separate components: a metal skeletal structure and interchangeable cardboard outer covers. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function - metal for strength, cardboard for printing - while working together as a unified system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If metal skeletal structure is used, then structural strength is improved, but ability to support high-quality printing on external surfaces deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidprinting capability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The solution uses composite construction where the metal skeletal structure provides the load-bearing framework while separate cardboard outer covers provide the printable surfaces, allowing both metal strength and cardboard printability to coexist.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The cardboard outer cover acts as an intermediary between the metal skeletal structure and the printing function. It transfers the aesthetic and informational functions to the metal frame system, allowing the metal structure to focus on structural support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Shape

If extensive plant-based materials are used, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but structural integrity for heavy products deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic appealVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The rack uses a composite of metal and cardboard materials, where the metal provides structural integrity for heavy products while the cardboard covers maintain aesthetic appeal through printable surfaces and natural material appearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

Different materials are applied to different parts of the structure: metal is used where structural strength is needed (the skeletal framework), while cardboard is used where aesthetic and informational functions are needed (the outer covers).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4331434B1Display rack
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 UDS SA
  • EP4331434B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4331434B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4331434B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Display rack (1) consisting of the skeletal structure (10) made of metal, provided with vertical support columns (11, 12, 13, 14), and connecting crosspieces (15,16,17, 18), the vertical support columns provided with mounting sockets (19) for shelves (40), shelves (40) made of metal, provided with mounting brackets (47, 48) adapted for being placed in the shelf (40) mounting sockets (19), wherein the metal skeletal structure (10) is covered by an outer cover (30) made of a material suitable for coating by printing methods, provided with pass-through notches (36) at locations corresponding to the shelf (40) mounting sockets (19).