Equipment Support Shelves with Quick-Release Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stackable equipment systems, particularly for medical equipment, lack the ability to securely and quickly attach and detach individual items, fail to account for transportation vibrations, and do not facilitate prominent display or accessibility during transit.
Innovation Solution
A support system with a back support and shelves, featuring a connecting mechanism allowing horizontal movement but blocking vertical separation, a locking mechanism to prevent horizontal movement, and a release mechanism actuated by a user, along with a coupling device for secure mounting to surfaces, enabling single-handed attachment and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If equipment items are connected together in a stacked configuration, then the equipment can be securely supported and transported, but independent removal or installation of an individual item requires separation of all items which slows down installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into independent shelf units, each capable of supporting individual equipment items. Each shelf can be independently removed from the support structure without affecting other shelves or equipment items, enabling independent removal and installation of individual equipment pieces while maintaining secure support for all items simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between shelves and the support structure is designed to be dynamically adjustable. Shelves can be quickly attached and detached through simple mechanical connections, allowing the system to transition between fixed stacked configurations and independent component states without requiring complex disassembly procedures.
2Reliability
If equipment is secured during transportation to prevent injuries and damage, then safety is improved, but quick and easy release of each item is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf design incorporates pre-configured connection mechanisms that automatically engage with the support structure when shelves are stacked. The connection features are positioned and oriented such that secure attachment occurs naturally during the stacking process without requiring additional securing actions, while release mechanisms are pre-positioned for quick access during emergency situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure serves as an intermediary element between the shelves and the equipment items. It provides a standardized interface that securely holds shelves in place during transportation while allowing quick release through simple interaction with the support structure, separating the security function from the release operation.
3Ease of operation
If medical equipment components are made prominently displayed and accessible during transportation, then ease of access is improved, but the equipment becomes more vulnerable to vibrations and forces during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure creates a third dimension of protection by positioning equipment on elevated shelves rather than allowing direct access from the transportation surface. This vertical arrangement maintains accessibility through the shelf openings while providing structural protection from vibrations and forces that would otherwise directly impact equipment components.
Data Source
AI summary
Support system for supporting equipment comprising: a back support; shelves spaced from one another and extending from the back support and arranged to support the equipment, each shelf comprising: a connecting mechanism for providing a connected position in which the equipment is connected to the given shelf such that separation of the given shelf and the equipment along a first axis is blocked but relative movement along a second axis is possible; a locking mechanism for providing a locked position in which relative movement of the equipment and the given shelf along the second axis is blocked; and a release mechanism for releasing the locked position to permit the relative movement along the second axis, the release mechanism including an actuator on the given shelf or the equipment which can be actuated by a user.