Adjustable Shelving Beam Mounting With Shoulder Bolts and Keyhole Slots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelving systems face difficulties in assembly and security, with bolted systems being time-consuming and boltless systems lacking in load-bearing capacity and uniformity, while manufacturing variations complicate the formation of strong rivets.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable shelving unit utilizing a combination of shoulder bolts with hex nuts and keyhole slots on vertical corner posts, allowing for easy assembly and secure attachment of horizontal support beams, providing the strength of bolted systems with the ease of boltless systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If bolts or fasteners are used to directly attach support beams to vertical posts, then the attachment strength and load capacity are improved, but the assembly time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into two functional parts: the shoulder bolt with hex nut attached to the support beam, and the keyhole slot formed in the vertical post. This segmentation allows the beam to be prepared independently with the fastener, then quickly inserted into the post without requiring alignment or additional fastening operations, thus reducing assembly time while maintaining attachment strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoulder bolt and hex nut are pre-attached to the support beam during manufacturing or pre-assembly, so that during installation, the entire assembly can be simply inserted into the keyhole slot and secured by tightening the hex nut. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex alignment and fastening operations during final assembly, significantly reducing assembly time while ensuring strong attachment.
2Ease of operation
If integrally formed rivets are used in boltless systems, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the load capacity and structural strength deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener design transitions from integrally formed rivets with limited adjustment to shoulder bolts with hex nuts that allow for variable tightening torque and position adjustment within the keyhole slot. This parameter change enables the connection to be optimized for both ease of assembly (simple insertion and tightening) and high load capacity (adjustable clamping force), resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and structural strength.
3Ease of operation
If rivets are hammered down to achieve tight fit, then the assembly ease is improved, but the manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical system replaces the hammering action with a controlled threading mechanism. The shoulder bolt's hex nut can be tightened uniformly and precisely using a wrench, providing controlled mechanical advantage that ensures consistent, precise fit without the variability and potential damage associated with hammering. This substitution improves both assembly ease (tool-driven consistent operation) and manufacturing precision (uniform, controllable tightening).
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable free-standing shelving unit with horizontal shelf support beams suitable for holding one or more wire deck panels, which are detachably mounted to vertical corner posts by way of a unique combination of shoulder bolts, attached to the horizontal support beams, and keyhole slots in the vertical corner posts. In some embodiments, shoulder bolts having a head with a wrench receiving surface, an unthreaded shoulder, and a threaded shank are attached to the horizontal support beams using hex nuts. The keyhole slots, which are formed in each of the angled flat sides of the L-shaped vertical corner posts, are sized so that the heads of the shoulder bolts maybe inserted into the wide upper openings of the keyhole and then pushed downwardly so that the unthreaded shoulders of the bolts will slide into the low slots.