Drawer with Moulded Position Tracking and Reconfigurable Inserts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated stock control systems face challenges in cost-effectively monitoring drawer movement and reconfiguring compartments to accommodate articles of different shapes and sizes, as they require additional components and are cumbersome to modify.
Innovation Solution
A drawer design featuring removable inserts with guiding slots and tapered ribs for reconfigurable compartments, and a sensor system using projections and gaps to track movement without additional components, allowing for flexible compartment sizes and secure storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a raster strip is mounted onto each drawer by means of screws to monitor drawer movement, then drawer position tracking is enabled, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the drawer position indication function directly into the drawer body by moulding projections and gaps as integral features during injection moulding, rather than mounting separate raster strips. This merging eliminates additional components and reduces system complexity while maintaining the ability to track drawer position through sensor detection of the projection-gap pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer main body serves multiple functions: it provides structural containment, enables drawer movement guidance through guiding slots, and simultaneously provides position tracking through the integrated projection-gap pattern. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated position monitoring components, reducing overall system complexity.
2Strength
If compartment walls are moulded into the drawer to provide fixed compartments, then structural rigidity is maintained, but compartment reconfigurability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the compartment structure into two independent segments: the fixed drawer main body (moulded with guiding slots for structural integrity) and removable inserts (placed within the drawer to define compartments). This segmentation allows the rigid body to maintain strength while the flexible inserts enable reconfiguration by being removed, repositioned, or replaced.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static, fixed compartment structure into a dynamic, reconfigurable system by introducing removable inserts that can be easily added or removed. This allows the compartment configuration to adapt to different storage needs while the permanent drawer body maintains its structural rigidity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If removable compartment walls are introduced to enable reconfiguration, then compartment flexibility is improved, but structural rigidity and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compartment system into a permanent rigid drawer body and separate removable inserts. The drawer main body is moulded with guiding slots that provide structural strength, while the inserts (which can be removed and repositioned) provide flexibility. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable inserts act as intermediaries between the user's reconfiguration needs and the fixed drawer structure. These inserts can be easily removed and repositioned to create different compartment layouts, while the permanent drawer body with guiding slots maintains structural integrity and provides guidance for the inserts.
Data Source
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AI summary
A drawer (100) comprising at least one receptacle (103) open at the top of the drawer; a drawer information means extending in a depth direction of the drawer, wherein the drawer information means comprises a series of projections (108) moulded into the drawer. The drawer also comprises guiding slots (104) for holding an insert (400) having a plate (401); and a pair of legs (404a, 404b) formed in the body of the plate and extending longitudinally upwards along the sides of the plate.