Hinged Fabric Organizer Panels for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for storing and organizing fabric materials result in cumbersome shelving and disorganized storage due to the length of rolled fabrics, which often exceed standard shelf depths, leading to soiling and abrasion issues, and pre-folding methods can cause undesirable creasing.
Innovation Solution
A fabric organization device featuring hingedly connected panel sections with a flexible hinge section that allows for folding in a traverse and perpendicular direction, along with anti-slip elements and magnetic clasps, enabling compact and organized storage without creasing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fabric is stored on rolls using conventional supports, then the fabric can be collected and stored, but the support length must equal or exceed the fabric width (35-108 inches), resulting in rolls that are too long for standard shelves (24-30 inches deep)
Solution Approach 1:
The support device is divided into multiple hinged panel sections that can be folded together, transforming a single long support into a compact multi-section structure that maintains adequate support length when extended but occupies minimal space when folded
Solution Approach 2:
The support device transitions from a static long support to a dynamic collapsible structure using hinges, allowing it to adapt between extended (for fabric support) and folded (for compact storage) states
2Ease of operation
If fabric rolls are stored vertically in open bins, then storage is simplified, but the lower portions of fabric become soiled from dust and debris accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The folded support device acts as a protective barrier placed at the bottom of storage containers before fabric is stored, preventing dust and debris from directly contacting the fabric material
3Volume of moving object
If pre-folding methods are used to reduce fabric width on rolls, then storage space is reduced, but sharp 180-degree folds create undesirable creases in the material
Solution Approach 1:
The support device serves as an intermediary structure that enables fabric to be gathered and secured without direct sharp folding of the fabric itself, using the device's panels as a mediating surface to achieve compact storage while preserving fabric integrity
4Area of stationary object
If customized deep shelving is used to accommodate long fabric rolls, then adequate storage space is provided, but storage system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system uses multiple small portable folding devices instead of one large fixed shelving structure, replacing expensive customized deep shelving with affordable standardized shallow shelves that can accommodate compact folded devices
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a fabric organization device for collecting, gathering, folding, organizing, stacking and storing sheets of flexible materials including fabrics, textiles, and other flat, sheet-form, bendable, flexible and foldable woven, non-woven and textile materials, embodiments of the invention enabling pieces and sheets of materials to be collected in an organized, uniform and stackable manner to facilitate the display, handling and storage of textile materials in a convenient and economical manner.