Rigid Exo-Skeletal Frame for Mobile Storage Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable storage units are structurally flimsy, prone to damage, and lack accessible compartments, making them unsuitable for stacking or sitting on, and they require replacement when damaged, with no easy way to access external pockets without opening the main compartment.
Innovation Solution
A mobile storage unit featuring a rigid exo-skeletal frame made from materials like plastic, metal, or carbonates, combined with a detachable flexible storage bag that includes external pockets and retractable stabilizing features, along with a monitoring device for tracking, to provide structural integrity and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a hard shell is used to provide structural strength, then the unit can withstand stacking and sitting, but the shell becomes thin to minimize weight and collapses under heavy weight
Solution Approach 1:
The storage unit is divided into a rigid exo-skeletal frame and a separate flexible storage bag. The frame provides structural strength for stacking and sitting, while the bag provides weight-efficient storage capacity. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the frame for strength and the bag for lightweight flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage unit combines rigid materials (for the exo-skeletal frame) with flexible materials (for the storage bag). This composite approach allows the rigid frame to provide structural integrity for withstanding stacking and sitting loads, while the flexible bag contributes minimal weight and maximizes storage capacity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the storage bag is permanently attached to the frame, then structural integrity is maintained, but the bag cannot be replaced when worn out or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling between the storage bag and frame is made dynamic rather than static. Detachable couplings allow the bag to be easily removed and replaced when worn or damaged, while still maintaining structural integrity during use through secure attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable coupling system enables the storage bag to be discarded when worn out or damaged and replaced with a new bag, while the permanent frame is recovered and reused. This extends the overall lifecycle of the storage unit.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the frame is solid enclosed, then protection is provided, but outside pockets cannot be accessed without opening the main compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible storage bag with its external pockets is nested within the rigid exo-skeletal frame. This nesting allows the bag to protrude slightly or have external pockets accessible from outside the frame, enabling access to pockets without opening the main compartment while still benefiting from the protective frame.
4Weight of moving object
If the unit is made lightweight, then portability is improved, but structural soundness deteriorates and cannot withstand stacking or sitting
Solution Approach 1:
The storage unit is segmented into a lightweight flexible storage bag and a rigid exo-skeletal frame. The frame, though heavier, is optimized for structural strength to withstand stacking and sitting, while the bag is optimized for minimal weight and maximum flexibility, achieving overall lightweight portability with adequate structural soundness.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A mobile storage unit is disclosed. The mo- bile storage unit includes a rigid exo-skeletal frame and a flexible storage bag that couples to the rigid exo-skeletal frame while within an open storage region framed by the exo-skeletal frame. The mobile storage unit also includes a top seat portion and stabilizing features that extend and re- tract from the rigid exo-skeletal frame to support the mobile storage unit in the upright position. The mobile storage unit can also include a monitoring device for transmitting signals that are used to determine the location of the mobile storage unit.