Collapsible Shipping Rack Securement Tether and Pin Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stacked collapsible shipping racks lack effective securement solutions to prevent toppling during storage and transportation, posing safety risks due to instability.
Innovation Solution
A securement device comprising a tether and bracket system that allows easy engagement and disengagement of adjacent shipping racks, with a removable pin mechanism to ensure secure stacking and clear visual indication of secure status, utilizing a tether attached to a bracket on one rack and releasably engaging with a pin on another, preventing accidental disengagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If stacked collapsible shipping racks are used without securement devices, then storage and transportation space is saved, but the racks become unstable and may topple over
Solution Approach 1:
The securement system is divided into separate modular components: brackets attached to individual racks, tethers connecting adjacent racks, and pins for engagement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while contributing to overall stacking stability without requiring a complex integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Tethers serve as intermediary elements that connect adjacent shipping racks together. These flexible connectors provide the necessary linkage to prevent racks from toppling while allowing for easy engagement and disengagement, resolving the contradiction between stability and structural simplicity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If securement devices with complex mechanisms are used, then stacking stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult engagement and disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The securement device is segmented into simple functional parts: a bracket with opening, a tether, and a pin. This segmentation enables easy manual operation where users can simply insert or remove pins to engage or disengage tethers, avoiding complex mechanisms while maintaining stacking stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex locking mechanisms that require multiple steps to engage and disengage, the design inverts the approach by using simple pin insertion through openings. The securement is achieved through the tether tension rather than complex mechanical interlocks, making operation straightforward while maintaining stability.
3Ease of operation
If removable pin mechanism is used, then ease of operation is improved for quick attachment and detachment, but reliability may worsen due to risk of accidental disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The pin design includes features that prevent accidental disengagement by requiring deliberate action to remove. The pin must be fully inserted through the bracket opening and tether to secure the connection, creating a preliminary barrier against accidental loosening while still allowing quick intentional removal when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether itself provides self-securing functionality by tensioning against the pin and bracket structure. Once the pin is inserted, the tether's tension automatically maintains the securement without requiring additional locking mechanisms, balancing ease of operation with reliability through the system's self-maintaining nature.
Data Source
AI summary
A securement device is provided for securing articles such as collapsed shipping racks together for maintaining their stability and alignment. The device includes a tether that is connectable between adjacent shipping racks to secure the racks together, and that provides a clear visual indication that the racks are secured. A securement device affixed to a collapsible shipping rack may further comprise a bracket member and upper and lower pin members coupled to the bracket member, with the tether having first and second opposite end portions and the first end portion of the tether being coupled to one of the upper and lower pin members, and the second end portion being releasably attachable to another securement device of another collapsible shipping rack adjacently stacked relative to the first collapsible shipping rack.