Foldable Modular Basket With Smart Connectors For Food Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shopping trolleys lack mechanisms for easy assembly and disassembly, lack cutting-edge technology for smart shopping, and do not efficiently transport and preserve foodstuffs, requiring users to borrow and pay for trolleys at supermarkets.
Innovation Solution
A foldable modular basket with smart connectors, wheels, and compartments that can be reversibly engaged in a car trunk, featuring insulating and heatable containers, a rechargeable battery, and a programmable electronic system for smart shopping, with solar panel option for energy saving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a shopping trolley is designed to be foldable and transportable, then it can be easily moved and stored, but it lacks a mechanism for easy assembly and disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The shopping trolley is divided into modular components including a foldable frame with multiple segments, removable baskets, and separable wheels. This segmentation allows each part to be independently assembled and disassembled, resolving the contradiction between transportability and assembly complexity by making both operations straightforward through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The frame incorporates dynamic elements such as foldable sections that can transition between extended and collapsed states, and adjustable components that adapt during assembly. This dynamic design enables easy transformation for transport while maintaining structural integrity during use, addressing both transportability and assembly ease
2Adaptability or versatility
If a shopping trolley is equipped with smart technology features, then smart shopping capabilities are enabled, but the device becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The smart trolley integrates multiple functions into unified components: the electronic system serves both as a shopping list manager and payment terminal, sensors detect both product placement and navigation needs, and the display provides product information, navigation guidance, and payment confirmation. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity while enabling comprehensive smart shopping capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate functions into integrated systems: the payment device is merged with the display terminal, scanning capabilities are integrated with the electronic system, and navigation sensors are combined with the control unit. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining advanced smart shopping features
3Adaptability or versatility
If a shopping trolley is designed to transport foodstuffs, then food transportation is enabled, but food preservation capabilities are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The trolley employs local quality differentiation by providing specialized containers for different food types: insulated containers for temperature-sensitive items, sealed compartments for fresh produce, and dedicated sections for frozen goods. Each compartment has tailored properties (insulation, sealing, temperature control) appropriate to its specific function, ensuring reliable food preservation across various categories without requiring the entire trolley to be uniformly equipped
4Ease of operation
If users borrow supermarket trolleys, then shopping is enabled, but users must pay fees and deal with availability constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through ownership or long-term leasing of personal smart trolleys, eliminating the need to borrow from supermarkets. Users independently manage their own trolley, including assembly, operation, and maintenance, freeing them from payment fees and availability constraints while maintaining convenient shopping access
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Kit for the transportation of moveable goods and foodstuffs with foldable modular basket (10) comprising: - base panel (120) provided with rails (130); - at least a right tilting hatch (20) and a left tilting hatch (30), installed laterally to said basket; - two foldable hatches (50); - a lower panel (60), which acts as a bottom of said basket (10); - connectors (70) arranged on said lower panel (60) adapted to receive electrical energy by means of a battery module (80) and to transmit it back to a plurality of devices adapted to be connected to said connectors; - a module provided with folding wheels (90) adapted to be applied and fixed beneath said lower panel (60); - a rechargeable battery module (80), installed laterally to said tilting hatch (20), adapted to power supply the entire device; - modular compartments; - two handles (110) and a grip; - a thermoregulator lid.