Sliding Hinged Shelves for Ergonomic Parts Dispensing Racks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing horizontal dispensing containers for shipping automobile parts are heavy, expensive, inflexible, prone to rust, and cause ergonomic strain for assembly line workers due to limited access and handling difficulties, leading to potential injuries and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A stackable horizontal dispensing container with removable, slidable shelves and adjustable frames allowing access from one side, reducing the need for workers to turn or reach deeply, and featuring a cover for stacking, made from injection molded plastic with metal braces for stability and dunnage to support parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel racks are used for shipping automobile parts, then structural support and protection during shipment is improved, but weight increases making shipping and handling more difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from steel to plastic, fundamentally altering the weight characteristic while maintaining structural functionality. The plastic rack achieves sufficient strength for part protection while reducing weight significantly, directly resolving the contradiction between structural support and weight.
2Strength
If steel racks are specially fabricated for particular parts, then parts support and protection is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and flexibility for reuse decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the rack with universal features including standardized stacking interfaces (studs and recesses) that work across different rack types, and removable dunnage that can be reconfigured for different part types. This allows a single rack design to serve multiple part types and be reused extensively, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining protective functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack is divided into modular components including the base structure, removable dunnage elements, and stacking interfaces. This segmentation allows the rack to be adapted to different part types by reconfiguring or removing specific dunnage components rather than fabricating entirely new racks, reducing manufacturing costs and improving reuse flexibility.
3Strength
If steel racks are designed with fixed dunnage for specific parts, then parts support is improved, but adaptability for different part types decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic, removable dunnage components that can be added, removed, or reconfigured based on the specific part type being shipped. This transforms the rack from a static, single-purpose structure to a dynamic, multi-purpose system that adapts to different part types while maintaining strong support capabilities.
4Strength
If horizontal dispensing containers have thick walls for structural integrity, then container strength is improved, but access difficulty increases requiring workers to turn or reach deeply
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented with multiple openings distributed across different surfaces (front, rear, and side walls). This segmentation allows workers to access parts from multiple directions depending on their position and the part location, eliminating the need to turn or reach deeply through thick walls while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A horizontal dispensing container comprising a base, opposed side structures including vertically spaced support members for slidably supporting removable, hinged shelves, and opposed rectangular frames is provided. The rectangular frames define openings on front and rear sides of the container through which parts may be loaded onto the slidable shelves inside the container. At least some of the movable shelves have front and rear sections separated by a hinge, the front section being pivotal downwardly to allow access to parts on the rear section of the shelf.