Shelf support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelving solutions in areas without walls, such as lofts, require laborious ad hoc constructions using timber or other materials, which are inconvenient and time-consuming, especially in larger spaces or confined areas.
Innovation Solution
A shelf support system comprising an elongate member with sockets at each end and mounting brackets with arms that insert into the sockets, allowing the support to be easily attached to upwardly oriented structural elements like struts or posts, providing a rigid and strong load-bearing point for shelves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ad hoc timber blocks or brackets are used to support shelving in areas without walls, then shelving can be installed in locations like lofts, but the installation becomes laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into separate modular components: an elongate member with sockets and mounting brackets that can be assembled on-site. This segmentation allows for quick assembly without laborious ad hoc construction, directly reducing installation time while maintaining adaptability to various strut configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting brackets are designed with arms that can embrace struts of various spacings and orientations, making the support system universally applicable to different strut configurations. The brackets can be adapted to accommodate different mount spacings, providing multi-functionality that reduces the need for custom-built solutions
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom timber supports are cut to length and secured to struts, then shelving can be fitted at desired locations, but the process becomes inconvenient in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The support components (elongate member and mounting brackets) are prepared and dimensioned in advance during manufacturing. The brackets are pre-formed with arms of appropriate spacing, eliminating the need for on-site cutting and fitting operations that are particularly inconvenient in confined loft spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting brackets incorporate adjustable or adaptable arm spacing that can be modified to match different strut configurations. This dynamic adaptability allows the same bracket design to work with various mount spacings, making installation easier in confined spaces where precise measurements may be difficult
3Area of stationary object
If multiple timber supports are installed in larger areas, then shelving coverage is increased, but the laborious task repeats for each support location
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple identical modular support units that can be independently assembled and installed throughout the space. Each unit is a self-contained module with pre-formed mounting brackets, allowing workers to simultaneously prepare multiple units and install them in parallel, significantly increasing installation productivity compared to custom-building each support
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized mounting brackets are designed to accommodate different strut spacings and orientations, allowing the same support unit design to be used throughout the entire area. This universality enables rapid deployment of multiple supports without requiring different custom solutions for each location
Data Source
AI summary
A shelf support, especially for loft shelving, comprises an elongate member intended to support a shelf, the member having a respective socket at each of two mutually opposite ends, and two mounting brackets each comprising two spaced-apart arms and each insertable into a respective one of the sockets to be positionable therein with the arms projecting away from the member in the length direction of the member so as to provide securing projections for embracing and securing to a respective mount on which the support is to be mounted.