Grid Shelf Rack Dampers for Quiet, Safer Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shelves with steel bars for self-service shops are noisy during assembly and pose a risk of injury due to ungrounded burrs, with the current noise reduction methods involving difficult and time-consuming spiral hose installations.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating dampers with a tapered receptacle design that enclose the end regions of lattice bars, providing a secure and noise-reducing attachment mechanism that minimizes the risk of injury and simplifies installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If spiral hoses are arranged at the contact points of the shelves to reduce noise, then noise level is reduced, but assembly time and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise levelVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The damper is integrated directly into the lattice bar structure, merging the noise reduction function with the structural component itself. This eliminates the need for separate spiral hose attachments and reduces assembly steps while maintaining noise reduction effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The damper is designed to be self-installing by simply placing the lattice bar end into the receptacle. The tapered shape provides self-alignment and the press-fit mechanism provides automatic securing without requiring additional tools or complex assembly procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Object-affected harmful factors

If spiral hoses are arranged at the contact points to reduce noise, then noise level is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise levelVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The damper is integrated directly into the lattice bar structure, merging the noise reduction function with the structural component itself. This eliminates the need for separate spiral hose attachments and reduces assembly steps while maintaining noise reduction effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Strength

If lattice bar ends are left exposed for structural purposes, then structural integrity is maintained, but risk of injury increases due to ungrounded burrs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidrisk of injury
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The potentially harmful exposed ends with burrs are converted into a beneficial feature by enclosing them in dampers. The dampers protect users from injury while the tapered receptacle design maintains structural integrity through the clamping effect on the lattice bar ends.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 solution effectively reduces noise during assembly, eliminates the risk of injury, and significantly reduces installation time and effort, offering substantial advantages over existing methods.

Implementation Method 1

The dampers 6 enclose the end regions 4a of each first lattice bar 4. The inner height hi of the damper 6 is adapted to the height h4 of the first lattice bar 4. The shape and size of the receptacle 7 with a circular boundary 10 is adapted to the shape and size of the second lattice bar 5. This achieves an additional clamping effect.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP1876924B1Object reception rack
Publication Date: 2014.07.16 WANZL METALLWARENFAB GMBH
  • EP1876924B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1876924B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The invention relates to a rack (1) for receiving objects comprising walls (2) and shelves (3), which are formed from grid bars (11) placed in parallel and orthogonal positions to each other, respectively and wherein said shelves (3) are applied to the wall bars (11). Said invention is characterised in that at least one part the grid bars (11) is provided with dampers (6) which surround the first grid bar and are applied to the second grid bar (5) and/or are suspended thereon