Quick Connect Shelf Mounting System for Foldable Utility Carts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelf systems for multi-purpose utility carts are difficult to attach and detach, often requiring nuts and bolts that prevent the cart from being folded, leading to instability and potential damage during storage and transportation.
Innovation Solution
A quick connect shelf system featuring shelf mounting units attached to the shelf and anchors on the cart handles, allowing for easy attachment and detachment with a bolt, ensuring stability and enabling the cart to be folded for storage and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nuts and bolts are used to attach the shelf to pre-existing holes in the cart handles, then the shelf attachment is strong and stable, but the attachment and detachment process becomes difficult and time-consuming for a single person
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf mounting system is divided into separate components: a shelf mounting unit with integrated bolt and shelf, and a shelf mounting anchor with integrated nut and handle. This segmentation allows the bolt and nut to be pre-assembled with their respective components, eliminating the need for separate fastening operations and enabling easy single-person installation and removal while maintaining secure attachment.
2Reliability
If an anchor with nut and bolt is used for semi-permanent installation, then the shelf attachment is stable, but the cart cannot be folded as designed, making storage and transportation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf mounting system is designed to be dynamically removable rather than permanently fixed. The bolt and nut components are intentionally made easily detachable, allowing the shelf to be removed when cart foldability is needed for storage or transportation, and reattached when shelf functionality is required. This dynamic design provides versatility by adapting to different operational needs.
3Ease of operation
If a simple attachment system is used, then the cart can be folded easily, but the shelf attachment becomes unstable, risking dropped and damaged tools and possessions
Solution Approach 1:
The bolt is integrated with the shelf mounting unit as a single component, and the nut is integrated with the shelf mounting anchor. This merging ensures that when the shelf is attached, the bolt and nut are properly positioned and secured, providing stable attachment. When detachment is needed for cart folding, the integrated design allows for easy removal without compromising stability during use.
Data Source
AI summary
A quick connect shelf system for a utility cart may include a shelf; a plurality of shelf mounting units attached to a bottom surface the shelf; a plurality of shelf mounting anchors attached to handles on the utility cart, and a bolt removably attaching the shelf mounting units to the shelf mounting anchors.