Breakable Plastic Shim With Countersunk Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plastic shims are difficult to attach to other objects and lack the ability to be easily broken into smaller sections, limiting their versatility and functionality compared to traditional wood shims.
Innovation Solution
A plastic shim with countersunk holes for affixing to various materials and designed to be breakable into smaller sections, each with screw or nail holes for separate attachment, allowing for both unitary and segmented use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastic shims are made pliable for ease of shaping, then they are easier to form, but they become difficult to break or snap off at desired lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The shim is divided into a body portion and a tapered portion that can be easily separated or broken apart. This segmentation allows the shim to maintain pliability for shaping while enabling easy separation into functional segments for installation.
2Strength
If plastic shims are made as single unitary pieces, then they maintain structural integrity, but they cannot be easily divided into smaller sections for different applications
Solution Approach 1:
The shim incorporates a break line that divides the shim into a body portion and a tapered portion, allowing the single piece to be separated into smaller sections for different application sizes while maintaining structural integrity when used as a complete unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The shim transitions from a static single-piece structure to a dynamic multi-section structure that can be separated or used as a whole, providing adaptability for different application requirements while maintaining strength when needed.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional wood shims are used, then they can be easily cut and attached, but they lack the durability and consistency of plastic materials
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameters by using plastic with specific properties that balance durability with ease of separation. The plastic material is formulated to be durable for attachment while allowing clean separation along the break line, overcoming the limitations of both wood and traditional plastic.
Data Source
AI summary
A plastic shim that has a hole for fixing the shim to a wide variety of objects. The shim may also be breakable for use with smaller applications, while also being usable for larger applications without breaking. In a preferred embodiment, each of the breakable sections has a hole for a screw or nail, so that each of the breakable sections is separately affixable.