Modular Crossbar Mounting System for Flexible Retail Display Shelving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional consumer product display fixtures lack flexibility to accommodate non-standard-sized products, requiring expensive and time-consuming retrofitting and resulting in wasted display space and reduced sales due to the limited ability to adjust shelving locations and sizes.
Innovation Solution
A modular mounting system with adjustable crossbars and vertical uprights, featuring engaging structures like teeth and plates, allows for customizable installation on various consumer product display columns, enabling flexible shelving configurations to accommodate products of different sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed shelving fixtures are used, then manufacturing and installation are simple, but flexibility to accommodate variable-sized products is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is divided into modular components including adjustable shelving units, vertical supports with multiple mounting positions, and interchangeable fixtures that can be independently configured. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture incorporates dynamically adjustable elements such as shelves that can be repositioned vertically along the supports, adjustable mounting heights, and reconfigurable components that allow the system to adapt to different product sizes and display requirements without requiring a complete fixture replacement.
2Area of stationary object
If conventional fixed shelving locations are used, then installation is quick and simple, but display space utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture is designed with pre-configured mounting positions, pre-attached adjustable components, and pre-engineered connection points that enable rapid assembly and reconfiguration. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming retrofitting while maximizing display space from the initial installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture employs universal mounting mechanisms and standardized connection interfaces that allow the same base structure to support multiple shelving configurations and accommodate various product types, thereby maximizing display space utilization without requiring additional retrofitting time for different product lines.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standard-sized shelves are used in fixed locations, then manufacturing cost is low, but ability to display non-standard products is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the fixture are designed with specialized characteristics tailored to specific display needs. For example, certain shelf sections can be optimized for flat products while others accommodate tall or irregularly shaped items, with each local area having the appropriate structural properties, materials, and mounting capabilities for its intended function.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture allows for changing key parameters such as shelf dimensions, mounting heights, and component configurations to match the specific requirements of different product sizes and shapes. This parametric adjustability enables the same manufactured fixture to display non-standard products by simply adjusting parameters rather than manufacturing entirely different fixtures.
4Ease of operation
If multiple standard fixture types are used, then product categorization is achieved, but complexity in adjusting shelving locations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture design consolidates multiple standard fixture types into a single universal system that can perform all necessary categorization and display functions. This universal fixture incorporates adjustable shelving, multiple mounting positions, and reconfigurable components that replicate the functionality of several different standard fixtures while providing consistent ease of operation across all applications.
Data Source
AI summary
The mounting system includes at least one first crossbar with a first end cavity and a second end cavity, and a first support bracket insertable into the first end cavity of the first crossbar. The first support bracket includes a first engaging structure, a second support bracket insertable into the second end cavity of the first crossbar. The second support bracket includes a second engaging structure, the first and second engaging structures configured to attach to respective first and second columns of a consumer product display. More than one vertical upright is connectable to the at least one first crossbar, where the more than one vertical upright includes a third engaging structure. The method includes connecting the vertical uprights to the crossbars, inserting support brackets in the first crossbar, attaching the support brackets to a column of a consumer product display and connecting shelves to the vertical uprights.