Telescoping Storage Case With Locking Carousels for Size Flexibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage cases for writing implements, such as crayons, are either not durable due to cardboard construction or lack flexibility in accommodating various sizes, as seen in plastic hinged cases.
Innovation Solution
An expandable storage case with a telescoping design featuring a base, inner carousel, top carousel, and a lid, utilizing notches and guides for sliding mechanisms and a lock-stop assembly to create multiple compartments and allow for expansion, made from molded plastic for enhanced durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a cardboard construction is used for the storage case, then the case can be made lightweight and inexpensive, but the durability and structural strength are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite construction combining rigid plastic components (base, carousels, lid) with flexible elastic members (springs, bumpers). This composite approach provides both durability from the rigid plastic structure and flexibility/cushioning from the elastic elements, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and structural strength.
2Strength
If a fixed-size plastic hinged case is used, then the case provides durable construction, but the case cannot accommodate writing implements of various sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic telescoping mechanism where the inner carousel and top carousel can extend and retract relative to the base. The elastic members enable the case to transition between compact and expanded states, allowing it to accommodate various sizes of writing implements while maintaining durable plastic construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a nested structure with an inner carousel positioned within the base and a top carousel positioned within the inner carousel. These nested components can telescope outward to expand storage capacity or retract to compact the case, providing adaptability while maintaining durable construction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the case is designed to be expandable with multiple moving parts, then the case can accommodate various sizes, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the case into segmented components (base, inner carousel, top carousel, lid) that can independently move and telescope. This segmentation allows the case to expand and contract in a controlled manner while keeping each component relatively simple in design, managing overall complexity through modular organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic members (springs and bumpers) are positioned to automatically engage and disengage as the carousels telescope, providing self-regulating motion control without requiring complex mechanical linkages or external control mechanisms, thus reducing overall system complexity.
4Reliability
If the telescoping mechanism includes locking mechanisms, then the case can securely hold expanded position, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanisms are designed to automatically engage when the carousels reach their extended position and automatically disengage when pressure is applied to collapse the case. This self-actuating locking system provides secure holding without requiring manual intervention, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic members act as intermediaries between the user's manual input and the locking mechanism. When the user expands the case, the elastic members store energy and automatically trigger the locking mechanism to engage, reducing the operational effort required while ensuring secure locking.
Data Source
AI summary
An expandable storage case is disclosed for storing various writing utensils. The storage case includes a base, an inner carousel, a top carousel, and a lid. The base, the inner carousel, and the top carousel are connected in a telescoping manner such that the storage case may be expanded from a collapsed position to an expanded, in-use position. The storage case includes a locking mechanism to selectively secure the storage case in the expanded position.