Pivotable Lid Organizer With Retractable Support Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing organizers lack efficiency and ease of use in storing and carrying objects, as they often fail to provide stable support when opened and are not compact when closed.
Innovation Solution
A container with a pivotable lid, a latch arrangement, and a support structure that engages a surface to maintain the lid in an open position, allowing for increased weight capacity and compact closure, featuring a handle and modular storage compartments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lid is made pivotable to improve ease of operation, then the container becomes more user-friendly, but the container may become unstable when opened
Solution Approach 1:
A support arm acts as an intermediary element between the lid and the base, providing stability when the lid is in the open position. The support arm extends to rest on the support surface, preventing the container from collapsing or becoming unstable during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm is designed to be movable between an extended position (when lid is open) and a retracted position (when lid is closed). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain stability only when needed, i.e., when the lid is in the open position.
2Strength
If a support structure is added to provide stable support when opened, then weight capacity increases, but the container becomes less compact when closed
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is designed to be movable between an extended position (when lid is open) and a retracted position (when lid is closed). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to provide structural support when needed while maintaining a compact profile during storage or transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm nests within or alongside other container components when retracted, minimizing the increase in overall container volume. The support structure is integrated into the existing lid or base assembly rather than adding external bulk.
3Volume of moving object
If the support is positioned proximate to the container portion when closed, then compactness is improved, but the support must move to extended position when opened, increasing mechanism complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is combined with the lid assembly, sharing common hinge mechanisms and structural elements. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall mechanism while still providing the required support function.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid hinge mechanism serves dual purposes: it enables the lid to pivot open and closed, and it also drives the support arm between its retracted and extended positions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate actuation mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
A container (10) having a container portion (12) with an interior space in which articles to be transported can be stored and a lid (16) pivotably connected to the container portion. The lid is moveable relative to the container portion between an opened and closed position. The container also includes a latch arrangement (18) that is constructed to secure the lid in covering relation with respect to the container portion and a hinge structure that is constructed to enable the lid to pivot relative to the container portion. The container includes a support (22) that engages a surface on which a bottom surface rests when the lid is in the opened position, so as to support the lid in the open position. The support is positioned proximate to the container portion when the lid is in the closed position and movable to an extended position when the lid is in the open position.