Kit for assembling a shelf unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelf units either have limited load capacity due to plastic materials or complex, costly assembly and safety issues with metal units, while also presenting challenges in packaging efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A kit combining plastic uprights with metal shelves and a plastic insert that allows for easy assembly and disassembly, providing high load capacity and reduced packaging dimensions, utilizing a design with interlocking cylindrical holes and tabs for secure connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plastic components are used for the shelf unit, then assembly is simple and user safety is improved, but load capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines plastic uprights with metal shelves to create a hybrid structure that leverages the advantages of both materials. The plastic components provide ease of assembly and user safety, while the metal shelves contribute high load capacity and structural strength.
2Strength
If metal components are used for the shelf unit, then load capacity is improved, but assembly complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining plastic uprights with metal shelves, the invention achieves high load capacity from the metal shelves while maintaining simple assembly through the plastic components' integrated connection features, avoiding the need for separate fasteners and complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the advantages of plastic and metal materials into a single shelf unit design, where the plastic uprights handle connection and assembly functions while the metal shelves provide structural strength and load-bearing capacity.
3Volume of stationary object
If metal shelves with hollow structure are used, then packaging dimensions are reduced, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow structure of the metal shelves is utilized to house the plastic uprights and connection components within their cavities, significantly reducing the overall packaging volume while maintaining a simple assembly process through the integrated design of the nested components.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic components with bevelled edges are used, then user safety is improved, but load capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention maintains the safety feature of bevelled edges on plastic components while compensating for the limited load capacity by incorporating metal shelves that provide the necessary structural strength and load-bearing capability.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The kit for assembling, a shelf unit comprises at least one metal shelf (7) that exhibits at least one through hole (8), at least one upright (2) made of plastic and comprising at least one first part (3) with a male connecting end (4) and at least one second part (3) with a female connecting end (5), which can be coupled with the male connecting end, and at least one plastic insert (9) exhibiting at least one through hole (10) provided with means for engagement with the upright (2), the first and second parts (3) of the upright (2) being configured to be slipped into the hole (10) of the insert (9) from opposite sides thereof so as to connect them to each other, the insert (9) being configured so as to achieve an interlocked state in one end of the shelf (7) in which the hole ( 10) in the insert (9) is aligned with the hole (8) in the shelf (7) and the engagement means is arranged so as to be tightly fastened between the female connecting end (5 ) and the male connecting end (4) when the first and second parts (3) of the upright (2) are connected to each other.