Wire-Grid Stand Design for Organized Automotive Material Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In automotive repair, the organization, accessibility, and mobility of numerous and odd-sized materials are challenging due to ineffective inventory control and storage solutions.
Innovation Solution
A wire-grid stand with multiple wire-grid walls and support structures that allow for attachment of various material holding apparatus, such as hooks, disc holders, and shelves, providing organized storage and accessibility while allowing light to enter for visual identification, and can be coupled to tool holding apparatus for enhanced storage solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional storage solutions are used for automotive repair materials, then materials can be stored, but organization and accessibility become challenging and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The stand is divided into multiple wire-grid walls (first, second, and third wire-grid walls) that can independently hold different materials. Each wall acts as a separate organizational unit, allowing materials to be segmented by type, frequency of use, or project category, thereby improving accessibility without creating a complex monolithic storage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional horizontal shelf storage to a three-dimensional vertical structure with wire-grid walls extending upward. This vertical dimension allows materials to be organized and accessed from multiple sides (front, rear, and sides), dramatically improving accessibility while maintaining simple construction through the modular wire-grid framework.
2Reliability
If inventory control systems are implemented, then material tracking improves, but the system becomes more burdensome and less effective
Solution Approach 1:
The wire-grid walls serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support for holding materials, create visible organizational sections, and enable easy attachment of various holding apparatus. This multi-functionality achieves reliable inventory control through physical organization and visibility without requiring complex electronic tracking systems, thereby avoiding increased system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stand's open wire-grid design allows materials to be visibly displayed and self-organized by their physical arrangement rather than requiring complex inventory management systems. The structure itself provides the organization and control mechanisms through its geometric framework, making the system self-sufficient and avoiding burdensome external control mechanisms.
3Illumination intensity
If solid walls are used for storage, then materials are protected, but light cannot enter for visual identification
Solution Approach 1:
The wire-grid walls function as porous structures with numerous openings that allow light to penetrate through while still providing structural support and material containment. The grid pattern creates a semi-transparent barrier that enables visual identification of materials from multiple angles while maintaining protective enclosure, resolving the contradiction between light entry and material protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire-grid construction acts as a flexible framework that can be manufactured from thin wire materials, creating a lightweight protective structure. This thin-film approach provides minimal obstruction to light while maintaining structural integrity for material protection, unlike solid walls that completely block light and require thicker construction.
4Ease of operation
If fixed storage structures are used, then stability is maintained, but mobility becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The stand incorporates lower support members with openings that can accommodate locking mechanisms or attachment points for mobility aids such as casters or locking feet. This dynamic design allows the structure to switch between mobile and stationary states, maintaining structural stability when needed while enabling mobility when required, rather than being fixed in a single configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
Wire-grid walls attachable to a stand or tool holding apparatus are configured to receive material holding apparatus, e.g., shelf baskets, disc holders, box holders, hooks, etc. The material holding apparatus may be configured to hold various material in an organized, open, and unobstructed manner to provide convenient access to the material.