Electric Shelf with Column-Mounted Linear Drive for Vertical Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelves, particularly ceiling types, face instability and difficulty in installation, leading to insecurity and increased costs, while also occupying valuable space due to fixed positions and hanging mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
An electric shelf design featuring a column-mounted slidable component with a linear driving device, allowing the shelf board to move vertically along a fixed column, reducing friction and enhancing stability, and simplifying installation with a motorized system that saves space and labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a ceiling type shelf is mounted at a higher height to save space, then the occupied home space is reduced, but the difficulty in accessing placed items increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf board component is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be lowered to an accessible height and then raised back to the ceiling-mounted position. The linear driving device enables the shelf board to slide along the column between a raised position (close to the ceiling) and a lowered position (within easy reach), dynamically adjusting the shelf height based on user needs.
2Ease of operation
If a pulley and motor are employed to achieve rising and declining of a ceiling type shelf, then the shelf can be raised and lowered, but the structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex pulley system from the design. Instead of using ropes and pulleys fixed at multiple positions, the shelf board is directly connected to a linear driving device that moves it along a column, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining the rising and declining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical pulley system is replaced with a linear driving device that uses a motor to drive a screw rod, which in turn moves the shelf board component along the column through a nut mechanism. This substitution simplifies the mechanical structure by eliminating multiple pulleys and ropes.
3Ease of operation
If ropes are used to fix three or four positions on the shelf for hanging, then the shelf can be raised and lowered, but instability during rising or declining causes the shelf to waggle and results in insecurity
Solution Approach 1:
The rope-based hanging mechanism is replaced with a linear driving device that provides controlled, stable movement. The screw rod and nut mechanism ensures smooth, wiggle-free motion of the shelf board along the column, eliminating the instability and insecurity associated with rope-based systems.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a ceiling type shelf is installed with multiple fixing positions, then the shelf can be adjusted to different heights, but the installation difficulty increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf system uses a movable shelf board component that can be positioned at different heights along the column through the linear driving device, eliminating the need for multiple fixed mounting positions. This dynamic adjustment capability simplifies installation while maintaining height adaptability.
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
The electric shelf provides a stable, space-efficient, and user-friendly solution by allowing the shelf board to move vertically, reducing friction and installation complexity, while maintaining safety and reducing the need for additional space.
Implementation Method 1
reducing friction and enhancing stability
Data Source
AI summary
An electric shelf includes at least one column to be installed on a wall, a slidable component arranged on the column to slide along the column vertically, at least one layer of shelf board component connected to the slidable component to move simultaneously with the slidable component, and a linear driving device connected to the slidable component and the column to actuate the slidable component to move relative to the column. Advantages of the present disclosure compared to prior arts include a simpler structure and less space occupied by the shelf board component.