Modular Disc Golf Rack With Upright Slots for Stable Bag Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disc golf disc holders fail to maintain disc organization and stability, particularly in bags, due to lack of rigidity and inadequate space utilization, leading to discs falling over or being under/overfilled, and are limited in their use-case to either storage or display.
Innovation Solution
A modular rack system comprising modules with grooves for upright disc support, connected by a tensioned cord mechanism, allowing customizable arrangement and retention of discs in a bag or on a shelf, with varying groove profiles for different disc types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If reinforced fabric dividers are used in bags, then discs can be organized into pockets, but the dividers lack rigidity and fail to maintain shape and position
Solution Approach 1:
The rack is divided into multiple individual slots, each capable of holding a single disc upright. This segmentation allows each slot to independently maintain its shape and position, preventing the entire structure from collapsing when some discs are removed, thus resolving the rigidity issue while maintaining organization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack combines rigid structural elements (the slot walls and base) with a flexible mounting system (Velcro® straps or bungee cords). This composite approach provides both the strength needed to maintain slot shape and the adaptability to fit different bag configurations, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and versatility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If individual rigid dividers are used, then discs can be held upright, but the slot width must accommodate the widest disc and dividers take up considerable space
Solution Approach 1:
Each slot in the rack is precisely sized to fit the specific disc type it is designed to hold, rather than making all slots wide enough for the widest disc. This local customization of slot dimensions maximizes space efficiency while maintaining the upright position of each disc, resolving the contradiction between stability and space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack utilizes vertical space by holding discs upright in a compact arrangement, rather than spreading them out horizontally. This dimensional change allows the rack to accommodate multiple discs in a small footprint, reducing the volume occupied while maintaining stable upright positioning through the groove structures.
3Quantity of substance
If fixed width home racks are used, then bulk storage is achieved, but the racks are only functional indoors and lack portability
Solution Approach 1:
The rack transitions from a static, fixed-structure design to a dynamic, adjustable design using flexible mounting elements like Velcro® straps or bungee cords. This allows the rack to be easily installed and removed, adapted to different bag sizes, and used both indoors and outdoors, resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and environmental adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack is designed with universal mounting capabilities that allow it to function in multiple environments (indoors on shelves, outdoors in bags). The adjustable and removable design enables the same rack structure to serve different storage needs in different locations, achieving both bulk storage capability and usage environment flexibility.
4Ease of operation
If pockets are over or under filled with discs, then organization is compromised, but the flexible divider cannot maintain proper filling levels
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the storage space into individual slots rather than large flexible pockets, each slot independently maintains its shape and provides clear visual feedback on filling status. This segmentation ensures proper organization while maintaining ease of access, as each slot's upright structure naturally indicates whether it contains a disc or is empty.
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 modular rack system provides stable, customizable, and space-efficient disc organization, maintaining disc orientation and density, suitable for both on-the-go use in bags and storage at home.
Implementation Method 1
The base of each module, of the plurality of modules, further includes a cord friction hold that receives and compresses an end of the tensioned cord such that the end of the tensioned cord is held in place by friction
Data Source
AI summary
A modular rack for disc golf discs includes a plurality of modules, at least two of which are disc modules, and at least one mechanical coupling that connects the plurality of modules together in side-by-side and aligned abutment with one another. Each disc module includes a base, having a front, a rear, a bottom, a top, and left and right sides, and at least one slot or groove, disposed at the top of the base, which is arranged to receive and support a single disc golf disc in an upright orientation. The modules are aligned in side-by-side abutment with one another such that the fronts and rears of the modules define a front and a rear, respectively, of a modular rack. The modular rack receives and retains a plurality of discs in upright, side-by-side arrangement with no more than one disc in each slot or groove.