Movable Shelf Units for Maximizing Container Storage Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for craftsmen's tools and materials leave unused interior space as they require a corridor for human access, limiting storage capacity.
Innovation Solution
The container design features movable shelving units that can be pushed outwards through the container walls, allowing the interior to be fully utilized for storage, with optional closure elements and a pivoting surface element for security and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If shelves are fixed inside the container along side walls, then tools can be stored on shelves, but interior space is wasted due to the need for a corridor for human access
Solution Approach 1:
The shelving units are made movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be pushed out through container walls for access and then retracted to maximize storage volume. This dynamic configuration eliminates the need for permanent corridors while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelving units are extracted from the interior space and positioned outside the container during storage, with only the necessary access opening required. This removes the corridor requirement from the interior volume, allowing complete utilization of the container space for storage.
2Quantity of substance
If the container interior is completely filled with shelves, then storage volume is maximized, but human access to the container becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shelving units can be dynamically pushed out through container walls when access is needed, creating temporary access pathways without requiring permanent corridors. This maintains full storage capacity while enabling human access on demand.
Solution Approach 2:
Shelving units are pre-positioned outside the container or in intermediate positions, allowing workers to access tools before entering the container or at the container boundary, eliminating the need for interior corridors.
3Volume of stationary object
If shelving units can be moved outwards through container walls, then interior space is fully utilized for storage, but the container structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure is segmented into modular sections with movable shelving units that can be independently positioned. This allows the complex functionality to be achieved through simple, repeatable modular components rather than a complex integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The container walls are designed with universal openings and guide structures that work with standardized shelving units. This multi-functional design allows the same structural elements to serve both structural support and movable shelf guidance functions, reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
In a container for objects, particularly for craft materials and/or a craftsman's tools, where the objects can be stored on shelves inside the container, it is provided that each shelf is contained within a shelf unit, the shelf unit is movable outwards through at least one wall of the container, and the container's contents are almost completely filled with shelf units. The volume of this container is almost entirely utilized for storing tools and/or materials.