Card Storage Container Hinge With Rolling Lock and Card Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing card storage containers are not cost-effective and ergonomically efficient, with complex mechanisms that lead to high wear and potential card ejection during use.
Innovation Solution
A card storage container design featuring a contoured mounting pin and rotatably mounted balls with spring-loaded engagement, limiting pivoting motion and providing rolling friction for reduced wear, combined with a positioning aid for secure card retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex mechanism is used to connect container parts, then the container can be securely locked in open and closed positions, but the device complexity increases and wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism is divided into separate functional elements: a mounting pin with contoured surfaces for pivoting motion control, and bearing surfaces with recesses for positioning. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function efficiently without requiring a complex integrated mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting pin features contoured surfaces and the bearing surfaces have recesses that work together to guide and limit the pivoting motion. These curved and contoured geometric features provide smooth rotation while maintaining secure locking positions without requiring complex mechanical components.
2Reliability
If a complex connection mechanism is used, then secure locking is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism is divided into separate functional elements: a mounting pin with contoured surfaces for pivoting motion control, and bearing surfaces with recesses for positioning. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function efficiently without requiring a complex integrated mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting pin features contoured surfaces and the bearing surfaces have recesses that work together to guide and limit the pivoting motion. These curved and contoured geometric features provide smooth rotation while maintaining secure locking positions without requiring complex mechanical components.
3Ease of operation
If sliding friction is used for pivoting, then the container can be operated, but wear increases and operation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting pin features contoured surfaces and the bearing surfaces have recesses that work together to guide and limit the pivoting motion. These curved and contoured geometric features provide smooth rotation while maintaining secure locking positions without requiring complex mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces sliding friction with rolling contact by introducing balls that rotate within the bearing surfaces. This substitution of mechanical interaction modes significantly reduces wear and improves operational ease while maintaining the pivoting function.
4Ease of manufacture
If the container design is simplified, then manufacturing effort is reduced, but card retention security may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning aids are designed to automatically engage with the cards through their own geometric shape and material properties. The elastomeric material provides self-adjusting clamping force that adapts to different card sizes and positions, ensuring secure retention without requiring complex active locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning aids utilize the elastomeric material's ability to change shape and stiffness parameters under compression. This allows the simple geometric structure to provide variable clamping force that maintains secure card retention across different operating conditions without adding complexity.
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 design achieves a stable, ergonomic, and low-friction operation with minimal technical effort, ensuring secure card storage and easy access, while minimizing wear and preventing card ejection.
Implementation Method 1
The balls can be spring-loaded in the second container part and mounted, in particular, in hollow cylindrical receiving parts, which in turn are attached to a wall of the second, inner container part. Advantageously, this results in predominantly only rolling friction between the walls of the container parts, which facilitates operation and minimizes wear.
Implementation Method 2
The balls can be spring-loaded in the second container part and mounted, in particular, in hollow cylindrical receiving parts
Implementation Method 3
a maximum pivoting of the second container part into and out of the first container part is limited by a geometric contour of the mounting pin in conjunction with the contours of the through-openings of the upper and lower shells
Implementation Method 4
the positioning aid yields during insertion and does not offer any significant resistance, but then, after insertion, a spring action on the edge of the card presses it against the opposite short side surface of the second container part, so that the card is clamped and – even if at least one of the main surfaces, preferably both main surfaces, of the inner, second container part have a larger recess to facilitate access to the card – is reliably prevented from falling out
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a storage container (1) for cards (2), such as credit cards, identification cards, etc., comprising a first, outer container part (3) and a second, inner container part (4), wherein the two housing parts (3, 4) are cuboid in their basic shape and are connected at a corner via a bearing, so that the second container part (4) can be pivoted relative to the first container part (3) between an open position and a closed position and can be locked in these positions. It is proposed that a contoured mounting pin (5) be used as a bearing to connect the container parts (3, 4), the pin passing through corresponding, coaxially arranged contoured through-openings (6) of the container parts (3, 4).Alternatively or additionally, it is also provided that balls (7a, 7b) are rotatably mounted in the second container part (4), which bear against a side wall (S31) of the first container part (3) from the inside and snap into a bearing groove (10) of the first housing part (3) to lock the positions and/or that a positioning aid (11) is provided in the second container part (4) on one of its inner sides, projecting into the interior, acting in particular clamping force on the card(s) (2), and preferably made of an elastomeric material.