Dual-Thickness Support Member for Variable Article Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article supporting devices face challenges in supporting both heavyweight and lightweight articles with different-sized insertion spaces, as increasing support member thickness to accommodate heavyweights can interfere with lightweight articles due to narrower insertion spaces.
Innovation Solution
The device features movable support members with a lightweight-article support portion and a heavyweight-article support portion, where the heavyweight portion is thicker and formed integrally with the lightweight portion, allowing for enhanced strength while minimizing interference with lightweight articles by adjusting the spacing between support members based on the article's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of the support members in the vertical direction is increased to ensure support of the heavyweight article, then the support strength is improved, but the support members may interfere with the support-target portion of a lightweight article when inserted into the narrow insertion space
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is segmented into two distinct portions: a first support portion for supporting heavyweight articles and a second support portion for supporting lightweight articles. The first support portion has a greater thickness in the vertical direction to provide sufficient support strength for heavyweights, while the second support portion has a reduced thickness that allows it to be inserted into the narrow insertion space of lightweight articles without interference. This segmentation enables each portion to be optimized for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the support member have different thickness characteristics tailored to their specific functions. The first support portion is locally designed with greater thickness to handle heavyweight articles, while the second support portion is locally designed with lesser thickness to accommodate lightweight articles with narrow insertion spaces. This local quality variation resolves the contradiction between support strength and insertion compatibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the support members are made thick to support heavyweight articles, then the support capability for heavyweights is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need to accommodate different thickness requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The support member integrates both the first support portion and the second support portion into a single unified structure. This merging allows the support member to handle both heavyweight and lightweight articles with a single component, eliminating the need for separate support members for different weight classes and thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is designed as a universal component that can support both heavyweight and lightweight articles. By incorporating both the first support portion (for heavyweights) and the second support portion (for lightweight articles) within a single member, it achieves multi-functionality and can adapt to different article types without requiring multiple specialized components.
Data Source
AI summary
Each of a pair of support members includes a lightweight-article support portion that is inserted into an insertion space of a lightweight article and supports a support-target portion of the lightweight article from below and a heavyweight-article support portion that is inserted into an insertion space of a heavyweight article and supports a support-target portion of the heavyweight article from below. The heavyweight-article support portion is formed to be thick in the vertical direction compared with the lightweight-article support portion. The lightweight-article support portion is provided at a position that is located in the insertion space of the heavyweight article when the heavyweight-article support portion is inserted into the insertion space of the heavyweight article, and formed integrally with the heavyweight-article support portion.