Cam-Lock Blind Mounting Bracket for Damage-Free Friction Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional window blind mounting brackets damage substrates when fixed and require penetrating fasteners, which is undesirable, especially for temporary installations.
Innovation Solution
A mounting bracket with a resiliently deformable friction element and a hinge assembly that forms a friction fit with the substrate, using a cam action to generate sufficient friction to support the blind without additional fixings, allowing for easy removal without damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional mounting brackets are fixed to the substrate using penetrating fasteners, then the bracket is securely attached to the substrate, but the substrate is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful penetrating fasteners from the mounting system and replaces them with a non-penetrating friction-based attachment mechanism. The bracket uses a friction element that contacts the substrate surface without penetrating it, thereby eliminating substrate damage while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a friction element as an intermediary between the bracket and the substrate. This friction element transfers the load through frictional contact rather than mechanical penetration, allowing secure attachment without damaging the substrate surface.
2Reliability
If penetrating fasteners are used to secure the bracket, then the bracket remains fixed during use, but removal causes substrate damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes penetrating fasteners from the system entirely, replacing them with a friction-based attachment that can be removed without damaging the substrate. The friction element allows the bracket to be securely fixed during use yet easily removed afterward without leaving holes or damage in the substrate.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a friction fit mechanism is used to avoid substrate damage, then the bracket can be removed without damage, but sufficient friction force to support the blind may not be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the friction element resiliently deformable, allowing it to dynamically adjust and deform under load to generate sufficient friction force. The friction element can elastically deform to increase contact pressure and friction force when the bracket is installed, while remaining removable without damage when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the friction element from rigid to resiliently deformable, allowing it to undergo elastic deformation that increases contact pressure and friction force. This parameter change enables the friction element to generate sufficient holding force while maintaining the ability to be removed without substrate damage.
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 solution provides a secure and damage-free attachment method for window blinds, enabling temporary installations without substrate damage and eliminating the need for penetrating fasteners.
Implementation Method 1
the frictional force generated in this way is sufficient to support a window blind carried by the bracket without the need for additional fixings
Implementation Method 2
the resiliently deformable friction element is urged away from the hinge plate as the hinge lever member rotates from its first configuration to its second configuration
Implementation Method 3
the hinge lever member exerts a cam action on the resiliently deformable friction element
Data Source
AI summary
A Mounting Bracket A mounting bracket for a window blind including a resiliently deformable friction element, and a hinge assembly, wherein the hinge assembly includes a hinge lever member hingedly coupled to a hinge plate, wherein the hinge lever member has a first configuration in which it lies adjacent to the hinge plate, and a second configuration in which it is angled away from the hinge plate; the resiliently deformable friction element is slidably coupled to the hinge plate and extends from one end thereof; and the hinge lever member exerts a cam action on the resiliently deformable friction element, wherein the resiliently deformable friction element is urged away from the hinge plate as the hinge lever member rotates from its first configuration to its second configuration.