Adjustable Picture Fastener With Sliding Carriage Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners and adjustable hangers face issues such as difficulty in hanging multiple picture frames at the same height, trial-and-error approach for adjusting height, and potential sticking of slide members due to fasteners, making it hard to position and grasp the slide member.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable fastener with a base having a longitudinally extending channel and a carriage with elongated extensions, where the carriage is larger than the base, allowing easy grasping and manipulation, and the design prevents fasteners from obstructing the sliding mechanism, enabling easy adjustment and concealment behind a picture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional nail and hanger are used, then the fastening function is achieved, but it is difficult to hang multiple picture frames at the same height and requires trial-and-error adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the hanger adjustable through a sliding mechanism. The hanger body can slide along the nail at different heights, allowing dynamic adjustment rather than being fixed at a single position. This enables users to easily adjust the hanging height without trial-and-error, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of height adjustment and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger is segmented into a head portion and a body portion that can move relative to each other. The body portion includes a sliding member with engagement features that can interact with the nail at different positions. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of the hanging height while maintaining the overall fastening function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a slide member is used in a support member with holes, then adjustable functionality is provided, but the fastener may prevent the slide member from sliding if not placed completely flush
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - a groove in the nail and a corresponding protrusion on the hanger body that engage with each other. This intermediary design ensures that the hanger body is properly positioned and guided along the nail, preventing the sliding member from getting stuck. The groove-protrusion interface acts as a mediator that maintains reliable sliding functionality even when the fastener is not perfectly flush.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding mechanism is designed to be dynamically adjustable along the length of the nail. The hanger body can smoothly transition between different positions on the nail, and the engagement features are designed to maintain continuous contact and guidance throughout the sliding range, ensuring reliable operation at any position.
3Ease of operation
If a small slide member is used, then the adjustable mechanism is compact, but it is difficult to properly position and grasp the slide member
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger body is designed with asymmetric dimensions - it is wider and larger in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the sliding direction) while maintaining a compact profile along the sliding axis. This asymmetric design provides large lateral surfaces that are easy to grasp and manipulate, while the compact longitudinal dimension allows it to fit within the support structure. The asymmetry resolves the contradiction by providing ease of handling without increasing the critical sliding dimension.
4Ease of operation
If the carriage is made larger than the base, then it is easier to grasp and manipulate, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening device is segmented into distinct functional components: a base portion that attaches to the wall, a nail receiving structure, and a hanger body with sliding mechanism. Each segment is optimized for its specific function, and the segmentation allows the carriage to be larger for ease of manipulation without requiring the entire structure to be complex. The modular segmentation simplifies the overall design while enabling the enlarged carriage.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable fastener includes a base configured to be fixedly attached to a structure. The base defines a longitudinally extending channel therein. At least a portion of the channel has a plurality of spaced-apart ribs or teeth extending inwardly into the channel. A carriage is movably attached to the base. The carriage is directly attachable to at least a portion of an object. The carriage includes at least two laterally spaced-apart elongated extensions. Each extension has a plurality of complimentary spaced-apart ribs or teeth for engaging the plurality of ribs or teeth of the base to locate and retain the elongated extensions within the channel of the base.