Modular Storage Compartments With Angled Sliding Lock Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular storage systems face challenges in providing easy accessibility and secure storage of tools and equipment, as containers often require complex mechanisms or are not designed for efficient sliding and locking configurations.
Innovation Solution
A storage device with male and female couplers and a locking mechanism that allows containers to slide outward along a path, providing easy access and secure storage by engaging with utility modules, featuring angled sliding paths and locking mechanisms for secure transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If containers are designed with complex mechanisms for secure storage, then security during transport is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism transitions between locked and unlocked states dynamically. When the container slides outward along the angled path, the locking mechanism automatically transitions from a locked configuration (securing contents during transport) to an unlocked configuration (providing easy access). This dynamic state change resolves the contradiction by making the system secure during transport but easily accessible during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is designed to automatically engage and disengage based on the container's position. As the container slides outward along the angled path, the locking mechanism self-actuates to unlock, eliminating the need for separate manual locking/unlocking operations. This self-service feature maintains security during transport while providing ease of operation during access.
2Ease of operation
If containers are designed for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but security during transport deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism's state is dynamically linked to the container's position along the sliding path. In the retracted position, the locking mechanism is engaged for security; in the extended position, it automatically disengages for easy access. This dynamic behavior ensures that security and ease of access are both optimized at different operational stages.
3Ease of operation
If containers slide horizontally, then ease of access is improved, but stability during transport deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding path is angled relative to the horizontal plane, introducing a vertical dimension to the motion. This angled path allows the container to slide outward while maintaining a stable, constrained trajectory that preserves stability during transport. Simultaneously, the outward sliding motion provides easy access to contents, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of access.
Solution Approach 2:
The angled sliding path creates a curved or inclined motion trajectory rather than a purely horizontal linear path. This curved path geometry allows the container to transition smoothly while maintaining stability through the angled constraint, while still providing easy access when extended.
4Reliability
If locking mechanism is always engaged, then security during transport is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be dynamically engaged only when needed (during transport in retracted position) and automatically disengaged when access is required (when container is extended). This dynamic engagement strategy eliminates the need for manual intervention while maintaining security during transport and providing ease of access during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is pre-configured to automatically engage when the container is in the retracted transport position and to automatically disengage when the container slides outward to the extended position. This preliminary action design ensures security is maintained during transport without requiring manual locking, while ease of access is provided automatically when the container is extended.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a storage device are provided. The storage device includes one or more storage compartment that are slidable with respect to sidewalls of the storage device. The containers are also rotatable with respect to the sidewalls of the storage device, thereby permitting improved accessibility to the storage compartment in the container.