Portable Towel Bar Shelf With Spring Brackets for Variable Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bathroom shelving designs face challenges in accommodating variable storage needs due to uncertainties in towel bar size and shape, as well as the distance between the towel bar and the wall, making it difficult to provide a shelf unit that can be easily installed and adapted to different configurations.
Innovation Solution
A shelf unit featuring a tray supported by end brackets with springs that can compress to fit various towel bar shapes and spacings, allowing for adjustable attachment to both the towel bar and the wall, with the end brackets being integral parts made of thermoplastic resin and featuring a sliding rail mechanism for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a shelf unit is designed to accommodate variable towel bar configurations, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for adjustable mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-mounted end brackets provide a dynamic adjustment mechanism that automatically adapts to different towel bar positions and shapes. The springs allow the brackets to move forward and backward, accommodating variations in towel bar distance from the wall without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The design accommodates parameter variations in towel bar configurations by allowing the end brackets to change their position along the spring mechanism. This enables the shelf to adapt to different distances between the towel bar and wall, as well as different towel bar shapes, through simple positional changes rather than complex structural modifications.
2Ease of operation
If the shelf unit is made easily transportable, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision may worsen due to simplified assembly mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf unit is divided into separable components including the tray and end brackets that can be easily assembled and disassembled. The spring-mounted brackets can be attached to and removed from the tray without specialized tools, enabling easy transport and reconfiguration while maintaining functional precision through the spring's inherent positioning capabilities.
3Device complexity
If the end brackets are made as integral parts, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability worsens due to limited adjustment capability
Solution Approach 1:
While the end brackets are constructed as simple integral parts for manufacturing ease, they incorporate dynamic spring elements that provide adaptability. The springs enable the brackets to adjust their position automatically, combining structural simplicity with functional versatility to accommodate different towel bar configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The shelf unit provides a flexible and secure solution for varying bathroom storage needs, allowing easy assembly and reassembly, and can be easily transported for use in different settings, such as hotel rooms, while accommodating different towel bar configurations.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the end brackets includes a mounting block, additionally adjacent the rear edge of the tray, and a spring extending forward from the mounting block, being connected to the mounting block.
Data Source
AI summary
A shelf unit configured to be supported between a towel bar and a wall includes a tray and an end bracket extending downward adjacent each end edge of the tray. Each of the end brackets includes a mounting block and a spring extending forward from the end block to engage the towel bar.