Storage system comprising a plurality of connectable plate-shaped members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems for items in drawers lack a cost-efficient and aesthetically appealing solution that maintains a continuous support surface without gaps, while allowing for modular expansion and secure item organization.
Innovation Solution
A storage system comprising plate-shaped members with complementary engagement structures at their edges, allowing them to interlock seamlessly and form a continuous sheet, combined with pegs on the support surface for customizable item storage, enabling flexible arrangement and modular expansion without the need for additional manufacturing tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If plate-shaped members are arranged side by side to form a continuous sheet, then the aesthetic appearance and continuous support surface are improved, but the risk of relative movement between members increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement structures are integrated directly into the plate-shaped members themselves, merging the connection function with the support surface structure. This eliminates gaps between members while preventing relative movement through complementary geometric shapes that interlock when joined.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous sheet is segmented into multiple plate-shaped members that can be manufactured separately and then joined through engagement structures. Each member has standardized engagement features at its edges, allowing modular assembly into a continuous configuration while maintaining stability through the interlocking geometry of the engagement structures.
2Stability of the object's composition
If engagement structures are added to plate-shaped members to prevent relative movement, then the stability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement structures are combined with the plate-shaped members in a single manufacturing process. The complementary geometric shapes are integrated into the same mold or fabrication process as the support surface, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing steps or additional tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement structures serve multiple functions: they prevent relative movement between members, define the boundaries of the continuous sheet, and enable modular assembly. The same geometric features provide both structural stability and assembly guidance without requiring additional components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If plate-shaped members are designed with straight edges at opposite sides, then the modular expansion capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into standardized plate-shaped members with straight edges that can be arranged in modular configurations. Each member is a discrete unit with defined boundaries, allowing flexible assembly into continuous sheets of various sizes while maintaining structural integrity through the engagement structures at the edges.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a storage system (2) for storing items, wherein the storage system comprises a plurality of plate-shaped members (4, 6, 8), wherein each one of the plate-shaped members comprises an upper support surface for supporting said items. Each one of two of the plate-shaped members (4, 6, 8) comprises an engagement structure provided at an edge of the plate-shaped member, wherein the engagement structures are of complimentary shape and dimension for engagement, and wherein the plate-shaped members (4, 6, 8) are arrangeable side by side with the engagement structures in engagement so that the plate-shaped members jointly form a continuous sheet, wherein a first one (4) of the plate-shaped members comprises a first engagement structure (34) provided at an edge of the first plate-shaped member, wherein a second one (6) of the plate-shaped members comprises a second engagement structure (36) provided at an edge of the second plate-shaped member, and wherein the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure are of complimentary shape and dimension for allowing engagement, characterized in that each one of the first plate-shaped member (4) and the second plate-shaped member (6) is defined by an edge (42, 44) extending along a straight line at an opposite side of the respective plate-shaped member in relation to the engagement structure (34, 36), and wherein a third one (8) of the plate-shaped members comprises a third engagement structure (38) provided at an edge of the third plate-shaped member and a fourth engagement structure (40) provided at an edge of the third plate-shaped member, wherein the third engagement structure (38) and the fourth engagement structure (40) face in opposite directions, wherein the third engagement structure (38) and the first engagement structure (34) are of complimentary shape and dimension for allowing engagement, and wherein the fourth engagement structure (40) and the second engagement structure (36) are of complimentary shape and dimension for allowing engagement.