Shelf system having electrical supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelf systems with LED lighting face challenges in aesthetics and maintenance due to messy wires and difficulties in installing components with small tolerances, particularly with ejection plugs on support arms protruding and interfering with vertical rails and backboards.
Innovation Solution
A shelf system design featuring hollow vertical shelf rails with punched holes for support arms, insulated bus bars, and a compact electrical supply with positive and negative power contacts that can be easily assembled without affecting the tolerance fitting, allowing for versatile mounting and reduced wire visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If power source is provided on the back of the shelf with wires passing through to LED lighting, then electrical connection is achieved, but wire arrangement becomes messy and maintenance becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical supply unit is extracted from the traditional back-of-shelf location and integrated directly into the support arm structure. This extraction eliminates the need for wires to pass through the shelf backboard and visible areas, consolidating all electrical components within the support arm housing where they can be accessed for maintenance without disrupting the aesthetic appearance or requiring complex wire routing through multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical supply unit is merged with the support arm structure, combining mechanical support function with electrical power delivery function in a single integrated component. This merging eliminates separate wire routing paths and creates a self-contained unit where power contacts are internally connected to the power source, simplifying both installation and maintenance while reducing the number of separate components that need to be managed.
2Ease of manufacture
If ejection plug protrudes from the side of the support arm, then electrical connection is enabled, but installation becomes difficult when backboards have small tolerance variations
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is segmented into functional modules: the main support structure and the integrated electrical supply unit. This segmentation allows the electrical supply to be manufactured and tested as a separate module with standardized dimensions, then installed as a complete unit on the support arm. The modular approach decouples the tolerance requirements of the electrical connection from the overall assembly, making the system more tolerant of manufacturing variations in backboard positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical supply unit acts as an intermediary between the power source and the LED lighting, providing a buffered interface that absorbs tolerance variations. The integrated design includes adjustable or compliant electrical contacts that can accommodate small positional variations in the backboard, serving as a mediator that maintains reliable electrical connection despite manufacturing tolerances in the shelf assembly components.
3Shape
If multiple wires are used to connect LED lighting to power source, then electrical functionality is achieved, but aesthetics are compromised due to visible wires
Solution Approach 1:
All electrical components including power source, wiring, and power contacts are merged into the integrated electrical supply unit housed within the support arm. This consolidation hides all wires and electrical connections within the internal cavity of the support arm, eliminating visible wiring while maintaining complete electrical functionality. The unified design presents a clean, wire-free appearance from the front while containing all necessary electrical infrastructure internally.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrical supply, comprising: a bottom cover (51); a top cover (52) mounted on the bottom cover (51), the top cover (52) comprising a row of positive collector (54) holes (521) and a row of negative collector holes (522) spaced apart from the positive collector (54) holes (521), the positive holes (521) comprising a first positive hole (5211) and a second positive hole (5212) spaced apart from the first positive hole (5212), the negative collector holes (522) comprising a first negative hole (5221) and a second negative hole (5222) spaced apart from the first negative hole (5221), the positive and negative collector holes (521,522) being slots; and a positive electric contact (54) and a negative electric contact (55), the positive electric contact (54) comprising a first positive free end and a second positive free end, the first and second positive free ends being inserted through the first and second positive holes (5211, 5212), the negative electric contact (55) comprising a first negative free end and a second negative free end , the first and second negative free ends being inserted through the first and second negative holes (5221, 5222), a chord length of the positive electric contact (54) being less than a maximum distance between the first and second positive holes (5211, 5212) of the positive collector hole (521), a chord length of the negative electric contact (55) being less than a maximum distance between the first and second negative holes (5221, 5222) of the negative collector hole (522), when the first positive free end of the positive electric contact (54) moves towards the top cover (52), the second positive free end of the positive electric contact (54) moves away from the top cover (52), when the first negative free end of the negative electric contact (55) moves towards the top cover (52), the second negative free end of the negative electric contact (55) moves away from the top cover (52).