Modular Bathroom Shelf Assembly for Stable, Repairable Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bathroom shelves are material-wasting, high-cost, heavy, difficult to process, prone to tilt, bending, or deformation during assembly, and inconvenient to maintain or repair due to integral connections and manufacturing errors.
Innovation Solution
A bathroom shelf assembly featuring tubular members with through holes and inserting members, along with connecting bars that engage via radial slots to ensure stability and ease of assembly and disassembly, allowing for individual component replacement without replacing the entire shelf.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rod members or hanging members are riveted or welded with metal connecting base, then integral connection is achieved, but tilt, bending or deformation occurs and structural strength is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the connecting structure into separate modular components: hollow connecting pieces with through-holes and rod members that pass through them. This segmentation eliminates the need for riveting or welding, preventing deformation while maintaining structural strength. Each component can be independently manufactured and assembled without compromising precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod members are inserted through the hollow connecting pieces, creating a nested configuration where the rod passes through the hollow space. This nesting approach allows for precise positioning and alignment without requiring deformative joining methods, thus maintaining both strength and manufacturing precision.
2Strength
If rod members or hanging members are riveted or welded with metal connecting base, then integral connection is achieved, but disassembly and cooperation with other structures becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the connection into separate hollow pieces and rod members that fit through holes, the invention enables easy disassembly. The components can be separated by simply removing the rod members from the hollow pieces without requiring cutting or heating processes associated with welding or riveting.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system transitions from a static, permanent joint (welding/riveting) to a dynamic, reversible connection. The rod members can be inserted and removed from the hollow connecting pieces, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining connection strength during use.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional bathroom shelf structure is used, then assembly is completed, but component replacement requires removing other components making maintenance inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The modular segmented design allows individual components (rod members, hollow connecting pieces, shelf boards) to be independently accessed and replaced. When one component needs replacement, others remain in place, simplifying maintenance while keeping the overall assembly process simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow connecting pieces are pre-designed with through-holes and the rod members are pre-cut to appropriate lengths, allowing for easy assembly by simply inserting components together. This preliminary preparation of components with standardized features enables both simple initial assembly and easy future maintenance.
4Ease of manufacture
If solid metal body is chiseled or processed to form mounting holes, then mounting holes are created, but material waste and high cost occur
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of processing the entire solid metal body to create mounting holes, the invention uses hollow connecting pieces where the through-holes are inherent to the hollow structure. This local quality approach applies material only where needed, eliminating waste from removing material to create holes while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs hollow connecting pieces that combine the structural function of connecting elements with the built-in through-holes for rod insertion. This composite approach eliminates the need for separate hole-drilling operations, reducing material waste and manufacturing cost while maintaining ease of assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A bathroom shelf assembly and a bathroom shelf having the same are provided. The bathroom shelf assembly includes a tubular member, at least one inserting member, a first rod member and at least one first connecting bar. The tubular member has a tubular wall and an interior channel extending between two ends thereof, and the tubular wall is formed with at least one first through hole. The inserting member is disposed in the tubular channel and has an axial through bore parallel to the interior channel. The first rod member is disposed through the axial through bore in the interior channel. At least one end of each first connecting bar is formed with a first radial slot, and each first connecting bar is disposed through corresponding through hole and spraddled onto the first rod member via the first radial slot.