Collapsible faceted object having a closed three-dimensional shape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oversized decorations, such as snowmen and Christmas trees, pose challenges during shipping and storage due to their large size, which is advantageous for display but cumbersome for handling and storage.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible faceted object comprising interconnected rigid facet panels that can transform from a flat configuration to an expanded three-dimensional shape and back, using flexible joints and a guide mechanism to facilitate easy transformation without external force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If oversized decorations are used for display, then visual appeal and display visibility are improved, but shipping and storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The decoration is divided into multiple rigid facet panels that can be interconnected and disconnected. These segmented panels can be collapsed into a compact configuration for shipping and storage, then assembled into a large three-dimensional display structure when needed, effectively resolving the contradiction between display size and storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The decoration employs flexible joints and a guide mechanism that enable dynamic transformation between a collapsed flat configuration (for storage) and an expanded three-dimensional configuration (for display). This dynamic capability allows the same structure to occupy minimal space during storage while achieving large visual impact during display.
2Strength
If rigid facet panels are used to maintain structural integrity, then strength and stability are improved, but ease of transformation between configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible joints serve as intermediaries connecting the rigid facet panels. These joints allow relative movement between panels during transformation while maintaining the structural integrity of individual panels. The guide mechanism acts as another intermediary that coordinates the movement of multiple panels simultaneously, enabling easy transformation without compromising the rigidity and strength of the facet panels themselves.
3Ease of operation
If flexible joints are used to enable transformation, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide mechanism serves as a precision intermediary that controls and guides the movement of flexible joints during transformation. By providing physical guides and constraints, the mechanism ensures that joints move along predetermined paths and maintain proper alignment, thereby reducing the manufacturing precision requirements for the joints themselves while still achieving smooth, coordinated transformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide mechanism replaces complex precision-machined joint connections with a simpler system of guided slots and tabs. This substitution allows for easier manufacturing of individual components while achieving precise coordinated movement through the guide structure, thereby reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining transformation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
In a first embodiment, a collapsible faceted object includes a number of interconnected rigid facet panels. The facet panels are arranged so that the object can be in either a flat state or an expanded state. In the flat state, the facet panels are substantially parallel to one another and the object has a first thickness in a direction perpendicular to the parallel facet panels. In the expanded state, the object has a visually continuous outer surface that forms a closed three-dimensional shape and a second thickness in the direction perpendicular. The second thickness is substantially larger than the first thickness. The object is capable of remaining in both the flat state and the expanded state without application of an external force.