Container storage rack apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container storage racks for bottles are either complex and utilitarian or aesthetically unappealing, failing to combine functionality with a visually attractive and simple design for displaying bottles in a public or private space.
Innovation Solution
A vertically oriented storage rack system with a linear array of laterally extending container mounting apertures that allow bottles to be cantilevered and displayed in alternating orientations, providing a compact and visually appealing arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional complex storage rack structures are used, then storage functionality is achieved, but visual appeal and aesthetic simplicity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential storage function from complex traditional rack structures, using only the necessary components (vertical support members with apertures) to hold bottles, eliminating unnecessary decorative or structural elements that compromised aesthetic simplicity while maintaining full storage functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical support members serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support, contain mounting apertures for bottle insertion, and create the overall visual form of the rack, thereby achieving both functionality and aesthetic simplicity through multi-functional design elements
2Ease of operation
If bottles are arranged in traditional side-by-side orientation, then easy access is achieved, but storage capacity and space efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal side-by-side bottle arrangement to vertical stacking arrangement, utilizing the vertical dimension to increase storage capacity while maintaining accessibility through the aperture-based insertion and removal system
3Quantity of substance
If apertures are narrowly spaced to increase rack capacity, then storage density improves, but bottle insertion difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support members are segmented with discrete apertures positioned at specific intervals, allowing bottles to be inserted individually through separate openings while maintaining narrow overall spacing between bottles, thus achieving high capacity without compromising insertion ease
Solution Approach 2:
The apertures act as intermediaries that guide and facilitate bottle insertion, providing a defined pathway through the vertical support members that simplifies the insertion process even when apertures are narrowly spaced to maximize rack capacity
Data Source
AI summary
A storage rack for supporting a plurality of containers has an elongated body configured for mounting in a vertical orientation to a support structure such as a wall. The rack includes laterally extending container mounting apertures configured to engage the narrowed elongated neck portions of the containers. Each container is retained and supported in a cantilevered manner from the rack by their necks. Various configurations of mounting apertures include closed and open geometries. One embodiment of mounting apertures includes an entrance opening having a larger cross-sectional area than an opposite exit opening. The entrance opening includes obliquely angled wall surfaces which facilitate insertion of the container neck into the mounting aperture.