Foldable Shelf with Hinged Walls for Space-Efficient Secure Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container holder shelves for storing concentrated chemicals are either not protective against tampering, not space-efficient, or both, and are difficult to install and adapt to various environments, leading to increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A foldable shelf with a bracket for wall attachment and a supporting frame that can be easily configured to minimize space usage, featuring hinged walls and stabilizing elements for secure storage, and an optional lockable door for enhanced security and adaptability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If closed shelves are used to protect containers from tampering, then security is improved, but space efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is designed with hinged walls that allow it to transition between a closed configuration (for security) and a folded configuration (for compact storage). The walls can be rotated about hinges to collapse the shelf structure, reducing its volume while maintaining protective capability when needed.
2Reliability
If fixed shelves are used to provide stable storage, then reliability is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf structure incorporates hinged walls that can be adjusted to different angular positions, allowing the same shelf unit to adapt to various installation spaces and configurations while maintaining structural stability when deployed.
3Strength
If complex assembly structures are used to ensure robust storage, then strength is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is divided into modular components (base, walls, hinges) that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for strength while simplifying the overall manufacturing process through standardized parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinged connection system provides robust mechanical joints that are simple to manufacture using standard hinge components, while still delivering strong structural integrity to resist bumps and impacts when the shelf is in use.
Data Source
Figure 1~19(g)
Figure 2~16(b)
Figure 3~5
AI summary
Foldable shelf (100) for storing objects, in particular liquid containers, comprising a bracket (110) attachable to a wall and a foldable box (120) including a supporting frame comprising two ledges (132, 133) connected to each other through two connecting bars (134, 135), wherein the foldable box (120) further comprises a pair of first walls (122, 123) each one hinged to a respective connecting bar (134, 135) and a pair of second walls (124, 125) each one hinged to a respective ledge (132, 133), where the foldable box (120) is configured to assume a fully folded configuration and an operative configuration, wherein the first and second walls (122, 123, 124, 125) are at a maximum distance from the supporting frame at the respective second limit angular positions, wherein the first and second walls (122, 123, 124, 125) are respectively provided with first and second mechanical stabilising elements (126, 127, 128A, 128B, 129A, 129B) configured to mutually interact with each other to cause the foldable box (120) to stably maintain its operative configuration, a first pair of walls selected out of the pair of first walls (122, 123) and the pair of second walls (124, 125) being provided with projecting elements (142, 143) configured to slide, when the foldable box (120) assumes its operative configuration, in corresponding slots (112, 113) of the bracket (110) along a coupling linear direction (S) until they reach a lock position wherein the foldable box (120) is stably attached to the bracket (110) and the foldable shelf (100) assumes an operative configuration, wherein the bracket (110) is provided with elastic locking elements (114, 115) configured to interact with the other pair of walls selected out of the pair of first walls (122, 123) and the pair of second walls (124, 125) to cause the foldable shelf (100) to stably assume its operative configuration.