Removable Shelf Locators for Foldable Dry Goods Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable containers for transporting dry goods face issues with misplaced or lost removable shelves, which affect the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of reverse logistics due to the difficulty in identifying and returning the shelves to the service center.
Innovation Solution
A removable shelf with male and female shelf locators, such as pins and slots, allows for intuitive and secure attachment to the container wall, preventing misplacement and facilitating easy identification and reattachment, using a dovetail coupling for stability and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If removable shelves are provided in foldable containers, then the enclosed space can be divided into compartments for more efficient use, but the shelves may be misplaced after removal and never returned to the service centre
Solution Approach 1:
The removable shelf is nested within the foldable container when not in use. The shelf includes folding support legs that allow it to be collapsed and stored inside the container body, ensuring it returns with the container to the service centre and can be reused in the next pooling cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed with pre-defined storage space and positioning features (such as recesses or guides) that prepare the container to receive and securely hold the removable shelf during return transport, preventing misplacement before the shelf even leaves the service centre
2Ease of operation
If the container walls are made foldable for easy return transport, then empty containers can be collapsed for more efficient transportation, but removable shelves become difficult to identify and may be left behind
Solution Approach 1:
The removable shelf incorporates visual identification features such as contrasting colors, reflective surfaces, or distinctive markings that remain visible even when the container is folded, allowing staff to easily locate and retrieve the shelf during the return process
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf is designed to nest within the folded container in a predetermined position, with the folding support legs allowing compact storage. The container may include dedicated recesses or compartments that hold the nested shelf, making its presence detectable through the container's external shape or through tactile feedback when handling the folded unit
3Adaptability or versatility
If shelves are made removable for flexible compartment configuration, then goods can be efficiently organized during transportation, but additional costs arise from replacing missing shelves
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is designed to nest within the foldable container, creating a self-contained system where the shelf and container are returned together as one unit. This eliminates the need for separate tracking and recovery processes, and the pooling model ensures the shelf is reused in subsequent cycles rather than replaced
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a pooling model where the container and nested shelf are tracked together through the supply chain. Service centres maintain inventory records of returned containers with their associated shelves, creating feedback loops that ensure shelves are accounted for and reused, eliminating replacement costs
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a removable shelf (1) for rigid containers (100) for transporting dry goods, the removable shelf (1) comprising at least one shelf locator (10, 11) usable such that the removable shelf (1) can be attached face-to-face to a wall (101) of the containers (100), or to an intermediate removable shelf (2) attached to said wall (101). In this way, one or more removable shelves (1) can be attached to the wall of a container (100). This is particularly advantageous in the case of collapsible containers (100), whereby the removable shelves (1) can thus be neatly retained and stacked within the collapsed containers (100).