Shelving system having stowable shelves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional shelving systems in retail environments face issues where products on lower shelves are obscured by higher shelves, leading to reduced visibility and sales, and stacking solutions can cause product damage and feeding problems.
Innovation Solution
A shelving system with stowable shelves that utilize a mechanism of longitudinal openings and actuated extensions within channels, allowing vertical movement of shelves upon actuation, which enables them to retract and expose lower shelves when products are removed, thereby increasing visibility and preventing blockage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If products are placed on higher shelves, then more display space is utilized, but visibility to products on lower shelves is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf system employs dynamic, movable shelves that can automatically change their vertical position based on product presence. When products are removed from a shelf, the shelf automatically rises to fill the gap, maintaining optimal display space utilization while ensuring lower shelves remain visible to customers.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelving system uses sensors to detect when products are removed and automatically actuates the shelves to move into position without human intervention. This self-service mechanism ensures continuous visibility to lower shelf products while maximizing display capacity.
2Loss of information
If shelves are made stowable with vertical movement capability, then visibility to lower shelves is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses product presence sensors to automatically trigger shelf movement mechanisms. When sensors detect that products have been removed from a shelf, they automatically actuate the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders to move the shelf vertically, eliminating the need for manual adjustment while maintaining simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex manual mechanical adjustment systems with automated hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder mechanisms controlled by sensors. This substitution simplifies the user interaction while providing smooth, controlled vertical movement of shelves to maintain visibility.
3Quantity of substance
If traditional stacking solutions are used to manage product space, then shelf space is optimized, but product damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of static stacking arrangements that can cause product damage, the system uses dynamic shelves that automatically adjust their height. When products are removed, the shelves rise smoothly to fill the space, maintaining optimal shelf space utilization while keeping products in their original positions without stacking, thus preventing product damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A shelving system is provided, which includes a plurality of supports, each support of the plurality of supports having a longitudinal opening defining a channel extending from a first end to a second end of the support, the plurality of supports having at least one opening positioned on a surface of the plurality of supports, at least one shelf, the at least one shelf including an extension, the extension being positioned within the channel of each of the plurality of supports to allow a vertical movement of the at least one shelf with respect to the plurality of supports; and an actuator operably coupled to the at least one shelf, wherein actuation of the actuator permits the vertical movement of the at least one shelf within the channel. Furthermore, an associated method is also provided.