Anchoring apparatus for bedclothes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bedclothes anchoring devices are bulky, unattractive, require complete removal to release the bed cover, and lack adjustment for user comfort, with no means to allow 'play' in the bed cover.
Innovation Solution
A bedclothes anchoring apparatus featuring a base member affixed to the mattress with a clip member that includes a rear grip and hooked portion connected by an over-center pivot mechanism, allowing for adjustable clamping and release, along with adjustable webbing for varying mattress thickness and user-preferred 'play' in the bed cover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an integral clamp extends from beneath the mattress over the bed cover edge and is secured at the upper surface, then the bed cover is anchored tightly to the bed, but the device is bulky and unattractive when in use
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate components: a base member that remains under the mattress and a holding member with the clamp that can be independently positioned and adjusted on the bed cover surface. This segmentation allows the anchoring function to be maintained while the visible portion becomes more compact and aesthetically pleasing.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp mechanism is extracted from the base member and placed on the holding member that can be positioned separately on the bed cover. This separates the functional anchoring element from the structural support element, allowing the visible clamp to be smaller and less obtrusive while maintaining anchoring effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the bed cover is anchored tightly to the bed, then the bed cover is secured in place, but there is no means for adjustment to allow for some 'play' in the bed cover to improve user comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member includes an adjustable strap or webbing component that can be lengthened or shortened, and the clamp position can be adjusted along the holding member. This dynamic adjustability allows users to control the tension and 'play' in the bed cover, balancing securing effectiveness with comfort preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The device allows changing of physical parameters such as strap length, clamp position, and tension level. These parameter adjustments enable the same device to provide both tight anchoring when needed and more relaxed positioning for comfort, making the system adaptable to different user preferences and bed cover types.
3Reliability
If the clamp is secured at the upper surface of the bed cover, then the bed cover is held in place, but the device has to be completely removed in order to release the bed cover
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a permanent base member under the mattress and a removable holding member with clamp on the bed cover. This allows the holding member to be easily detached from the bed cover edge without removing the entire device, providing convenient release while maintaining secure holding capability when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp and holding member are extracted as a separate removable component from the base member. This allows users to quickly remove only the visible portion from the bed cover to release it, without needing to disturb the base member embedded under the mattress, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining holding effectiveness.
4Reliability
If additional straps extending across the upper surface of the mattress are used to secure the clamps, then the clamps are secured to the bed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base member integrates both the anchoring function (through mattress attachment) and the support function for the clamp in a single unified component. This eliminates the need for separate straps extending across the mattress surface, as the base member itself provides the structural connection, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable clamp attachment.
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 apparatus securely holds bed covers in place without needing to be completely removed, allows for adjustable tension and user-selectable 'play', and accommodates varying bed cover thicknesses, enhancing user comfort and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
communicably coupled together by means of an over-centre pivot mechanism and configured to be manually operated between a first, open configuration in which an opening is defined between said hooked portion and said rear grip member into which said portion of said bed cover can be inserted, and a second, closed configuration, in which said portion of said bed cover is clamped between said hooked portion and said rear grip member
Implementation Method 2
The end portion may be communicably coupled to said rear grip member (or the above-mentioned housing member) by one or more spring members operable to bias said end portion toward said hooked portion.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
Anchoring apparatus for a bed cover, comprising a base member (10) and a holding member (12, 120), wherein said base member (10) is configured to be affixed to a bed at a lower edge of a mattress (16) and includes a first portion (18) of a clip member, and said holding member (12, 120) comprises a second part of said clip member for enabling said base member (10) and said holding member (12, 120) to be releasably connected together, in use, said holding member further comprising a clamp member for releasably clamping a portion of said bed cover therein.