Structural system and shelf
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular furniture systems are complex and pose safety risks during assembly, reassembly, and disassembly, requiring trained personnel and special tools, making it difficult to adjust furniture to changing needs without compromising stability.
Innovation Solution
A structural system comprising elongate vertical supports, frames with mounting corner pieces, and connectors that allow for flexible assembly and reassembly of shelves without tools, ensuring stability by securing frames outside the support planes defined by vertical supports, enabling untrained individuals to construct, disassemble, and reassemble furniture efficiently and safely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If modular furniture systems use complex tube structures with node elements for variability, then adaptability is improved, but assembly complexity and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The furniture system is divided into modular components (vertical supports with hole patterns, horizontal shelves, connectors) that can be independently assembled and reconfigured. Each component has standardized connection interfaces that simplify assembly while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Connectors serve as intermediary elements that simplify the connection between vertical supports and horizontal shelves. These connectors provide standardized interfaces that reduce assembly complexity while maintaining the adaptability of the overall system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If modular furniture systems use complex tube structures with node elements for variability, then adaptability is improved, but safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the furniture into modular components with standardized connection interfaces. This segmentation allows for controlled, repeatable connections that improve safety while maintaining adaptability through modular reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical supports feature patterns of holes at specific positions and orientations that allow connectors to be positioned at different heights and angles. This parameter variation enables adaptable furniture configurations while maintaining structural integrity and safety through controlled connection geometry.
3Stability of the object's composition
If special tools and trained personnel are required for assembly, then structural stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connectors are designed with self-aligning features and intuitive connection mechanisms that allow users to assemble the furniture without special tools or extensive training. The standardized interfaces guide proper assembly while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system uses standardized parameters (hole patterns, connector dimensions, connection forces) that ensure structural stability while being simple enough for untrained users to assemble correctly without special tools.
4Adaptability or versatility
If furniture is designed for frequent adjustment to changing needs, then adaptability is improved, but assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular component design with standardized interfaces allows for rapid assembly and disassembly. Users can quickly reconfigure the furniture by simply connecting and disconnecting pre-fabricated modules without time-consuming fastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The connectors act as intermediary elements that enable rapid connection and disconnection of furniture components. These standardized connectors reduce assembly time while maintaining the adaptability needed for frequent reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
A structural system for the modular construction of shelves includes a set of elongate vertical supports, a set of frames and a set of connectors. The vertical supports have at least one axially extending row of holes, the frames have four struts, and the connectors are designed to be introduced into a hole a vertical support and secured to a mounting corner piece of a frame. The structural system is designed such that, in an assembled state, a frame of the set of frames is secured by its mounting corner pieces to four vertical supports via a relevant connector, two respective neighboring vertical supports that are connected to one another via one of the struts of the at least one frame define a support plane, and the four struts of the at least one frame lie outside the support planes defined by the four vertical supports connected to the frame.