Slotted Display Support Profile for Stable Easy-Hang Mounts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for vertical supports with slotted grids fail to balance lateral stability and ease of hanging/unhanging, often resulting in reduced play and increased difficulty in hooking and unhooking due to tighter jamming, and do not allow for uninterrupted rows of supports.

Innovation Solution

A vertical support with a grid of slots of uniform height, where brackets can be hung in a mirror-symmetric arrangement, with specific lug configurations and a separate inner leg to delimit each line of slots, allowing for easy insertion and removal while maintaining lateral stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the slot grid or the gaps in the profile leading to the slot grid are narrowed to reduce play and improve lateral stability of suspended girders, then lateral stability is improved, but hooking and unhooking becomes more difficult due to onset of deadlock

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelateral stabilityVSAvoidhooking and unhooking
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The bracket is divided into two separate brackets, each occupying one line of slots in two adjacent vertical supports. This segmentation allows each bracket to be independently inserted and removed, reducing the deadlock effect while maintaining lateral stability through the combined support structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The outer legs act as intermediaries that guide the brackets during insertion and removal. The gap between outer legs provides a pathway that facilitates easy hooking and unhooking while the inner legs maintain the slot grid structure for lateral stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the slot grid is arranged mirror-symmetrically in two mutually parallel vertical lines with separate inner legs, then lateral stability of suspended carriers is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelateral stabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mirror-symmetric slot grid configuration serves multiple functions: it provides lateral stability for suspended carriers, allows for the segmentation of brackets, and enables the use of outer legs as guiding intermediaries. This multi-functionality justifies the increased structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

While the overall configuration is symmetric, the presence of separate inner legs and outer legs creates asymmetric sub-structures that facilitate the segmentation and guiding functions, resolving the complexity issue through functional asymmetry within symmetric boundaries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP2051605B1Apparatus for displaying goods, comprising a profile and mounts which can be suspended therein
Publication Date: 2018.07.04 VISPLAY INT AG
  • EP2051605B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2051605B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2051605B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

The apparatus for displaying goods is based on a vertical support (1) which has a grid of slots (15) of uniform defined height (a) with a respective upper edge (150) and a lower edge (151). Brackets (50) of mounts (5) which are intended for directly suspending articles or for holding secondary mounts (8) are suspended in the slots (15). The slot grid is arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner in two perpendicular lines which are parallel to one another, each line of the slot grid being bounded by an inner limb (12). In a first version, the mount (5) is equipped with a bracket (50) which, in the inserted state, simultaneously occupies slots (15) of both lines of the same vertical support (1). In a second version, the mount (6) has two brackets (60) which, in the inserted state, in each case occupy only one line of slots (15) of two adjacent vertical supports (1). In order to bound each line of slots (15), a separate inner limb (12) is in each case present in the vertical support (1) and the two inner limbs (12) surround a hollow space (18) which is bounded at the rear by a base (10). A gap (17) which is provided for insertion of the bracket (50, 60) and has a defined gap width (g) and is bounded by an inner limb (12) and an outer limb (16) is conducted on each line of the slot grid. The bracket (50) of a mount (5) according to the first version simultaneously occupies both gaps (17) of the same vertical support (1) in the inserted state. In contrast, the two brackets (60) of a mount (6) of the second version in each case occupy only one gap (17) of two adjacent vertical supports (1) in the inserted state.