Shelving Support Bracket Assembly for Impact Load Resistance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shelving systems often face premature failure due to loading conditions, such as deformation, fracture, and fatigue, particularly in cantilevered shelves subjected to repeated impact loading, leading to undesirable downtime and costs.
Innovation Solution
A shelving system design featuring a support post with vertically spaced retention members and a support bracket with an attachment portion and a C-shaped support portion that couples to the retention members, providing additional structural support and stability to mitigate mechanical stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shelving system designs are used, then manufacturability and material costs are controlled, but strength and reliability deteriorate under repeated impact loading
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: a support bracket portion that couples to the support post and retention members, and a shelf bracket portion that supports the shelf. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system reliability under impact loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The support bracket is designed with flexibility to dynamically respond to impact loads. The bracket can flex and deform elastically during impact events, absorbing energy and then returning to its original position, preventing catastrophic failure while maintaining structural integrity.
2Strength
If shelf thickness is increased to improve strength, then resistance to deformation improves, but the shelf cannot be inserted into shallow cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket extends in the vertical dimension along the support post, providing additional structural support without increasing the horizontal thickness of the shelf itself. This allows the shelf to maintain thin profile for cavity compatibility while the vertically extended bracket provides the necessary bending resistance.
3Ease of operation
If cantilevered shelves are used for accessibility, then ease of operation improves, but susceptibility to impact loading failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to flex and absorb impact energy through controlled deformation. The bracket can elastically deform during impact events and return to its original position, providing resilience against repeated impact loading while maintaining the cantilevered configuration for accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket assembly incorporates energy-absorbing characteristics that act as a cushion before failure can occur. The flexible design allows the bracket to absorb and dissipate impact energy through controlled deformation, protecting the shelf and support structure from catastrophic failure during impact events.
Data Source
AI summary
A shelving system includes a support post having a mounting surface and a plurality of vertically spaced retention members extending from the mounting surface. A shelf includes a bracket member configured for coupling to a first of the vertically spaced retention members. A support bracket includes an attachment portion configured for coupling to a second of the vertically spaced retention members adjacent the first vertically spaced retention member and a support portion configured for coupling to the bracket member.