Nested Rigid Basket and Flexible Bag Carrying Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current materials handling facilities face delays and inefficiencies due to the need to manually transfer items from durable carriers like baskets to bags, which are often flimsy and require individual handling, slowing down transactions and increasing physical strain on staff and users.
Innovation Solution
The development of combination carrying devices featuring rigid baskets with nested, tapered bags that can be easily lifted and transported as a single unit, utilizing retractable handles and secure nesting mechanisms to streamline item transfer from inventory to checkout or packing stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If items are manually transferred from durable carriers to bags, then item transfer is possible, but transaction speed decreases and handling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the durable carrier (basket) and the bag into a single integrated unit where the bag is nested within the basket. This merging eliminates the need for separate transfer operations, allowing users to carry both durable and soft-sided items simultaneously in one device, thereby increasing transaction speed and reducing handling time.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag is designed to nest within the basket structure, with the bag's opening positioned at the basket's opening. This nesting arrangement allows the bag to be stored compactly within the durable carrier when not in use, and enables seamless access to both containers without requiring item transfer, thus improving productivity and reducing time loss.
2Ease of operation
If separate durable carriers and bags are used, then item carrying capacity is provided, but physical effort and handling complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the basket and bag into a single handling unit, the patent reduces the number of separate objects users must manipulate. The integrated design allows users to grasp and move both containers simultaneously, reducing physical effort and simplifying the handling process while maintaining the carrying capacity of both durable and soft-sided items.
3Strength
If flimsy bags are used for item containment, then soft-sided carrying is provided, but structural strength and durability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite carrying system where the rigid basket structure provides structural strength and durability, while the nested flexible bag provides soft-sided carrying capability. The combination of these two different material types and structural characteristics allows the system to simultaneously achieve both strength and flexibility, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and carrying adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A combination carrying device includes a rigid basket having a flexible bag nested therein. The flexible bag may be formed from one or more fabrics or like materials and define a tapered volume having a pair of handle extensions. The rigid basket may be formed from plastics or like materials and include rotatable handles mounted to sides of the rigid basket via one or more mounting bores. A customer carrying a combination carrying device in a retail establishment may place one or more items in the flexible bag nested within the rigid basket, and extract the flexible bag from the rigid basket after executing a purchase for the items therein.