Wire-Loop Frame Holder for Gastronorm Containers on Standard Shelves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for holding Gastronorm containers in refrigerators require special shelves or modifications, and existing holders lack sufficient load-bearing capacity and ensure safe insertion without collision with frame parts.
Innovation Solution
A rigid frame holder made of stable wire or fiber-reinforced plastic, with staggered loop sections allowing easy insertion and secure support of Gastronorm containers, compatible with conventional shelves, ensuring safe and stable storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional shelf is used without modifications, then the shelf structure remains simple and compatible with standard refrigerators, but existing holders cannot be securely attached and lack sufficient load-bearing capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is divided into multiple functional segments: first loop sections for container support, second loop sections for shelf attachment, and third loop sections for structural connection. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity and load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder combines different material properties by using rigid frame structures for load-bearing elements and flexible mounting mechanisms for attachment. The rigid wire or fiber-reinforced plastic provides high strength, while the loop design allows for controlled flexibility during installation and container insertion.
2Reliability
If special shelves with openings are used to attach holders, then holders can be securely fixed, but the shelf must be replaced and specially prepared, increasing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed to attach itself to conventional shelves without requiring pre-drilled holes, special shelf modifications, or external fastening components. The second loop sections enable the holder to self-secure to the shelf surface, eliminating the need for special shelf preparation and maintaining compatibility with standard refrigerator shelves.
3Stability of the object's composition
If vertical third loop sections are present in the frame, then structural stability is improved, but containers may collide with these sections during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The third loop sections are positioned in the vertical dimension between the first and second loop sections, creating a three-dimensional structure. This vertical arrangement provides structural stability while the staggered positioning and sufficient vertical clearance ensure that horizontally inserted containers do not collide with these vertical elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The third loop sections act as intermediary structural elements that connect the first and second loop sections. They provide necessary structural support while their positioning and the clearances they create allow container insertion to proceed without interference, mediating between the need for stability and ease of operation.
4Strength
If the holder is made as a rigid frame, then load-bearing capacity is sufficient for filled containers, but manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid frame is segmented into modular loop sections that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation maintains the structural integrity and load-bearing capacity of the rigid frame while simplifying manufacturing processes and enabling easier assembly and disassembly.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described is a holder (10) for a food container (30), in particular a Gastronorm container, in a refrigerator, with at least two first holders (14a, 14b) to be attached opposite each other to a shelf (20) as supports and guides for the food container (30). The holder (10) is a rigid frame (12) made of an endless wire loop in which two straight, parallel loop sections form the first holders (14a, 14b), which lie in a first plane. Two further second holders (15a, 15b) are formed in the loop as straight, parallel second loop sections in a parallel second plane spaced apart from the first plane and at right angles to the two first holders, and serve to slidably support the frame (12) on the shelf (20). To use the holder (10), it is only necessary to thread the shelf (20) into the frame (12).Below the shelf (20) a food container (30) with or without a lid (32) can then be inserted onto the first holders (14a, 14b).