Front-Loading Display Frame With Concealed Gravity Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display frames are complex in construction, difficult to use, and do not provide sufficient protection and ease of access for replacing display items, which is crucial for maintaining the value of graphic materials like comic books and baseball cards.
Innovation Solution
A swing-open, front-loading, wall-mounted display frame with a manually releasable gravity-actuated lock that allows for easy access and secure closure, featuring a front frame member with U-shaped channels and a rear frame member with L-shaped latch plates, enabling pivotal movement and secure locking without requiring removal from the wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a conventional latch mechanism is used to secure the frame, then the frame remains closed securely, but the latch protrudes above the frame which is aesthetically unacceptable
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is extracted from the exterior of the frame and repositioned to the rear surface, where it is concealed from view. The latch plate and cam member are mounted on the back of the frame, eliminating the protruding appearance while maintaining secure closure functionality through the same mechanical locking action.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism components are nested within the frame structure itself. The latch plate is received in a recess, the cam member rotates within a circular opening, and the spring is contained within the latch assembly, creating a compact nested arrangement that eliminates external protrusions while preserving the locking function.
2Ease of operation
If the frame is designed to be opened frequently for picture replacement, then access to pictures is easy, but the frame must be removed from the wall which is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into functionally independent components: the picture-holding section remains permanently mounted on the wall, while the closure section with the latch mechanism can be independently opened and closed. This segmentation allows picture access without removing the entire frame from the wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure section is made dynamically separable from the wall mounting through the latch mechanism. The cam member and latch plate provide a mechanical connection that can be quickly engaged and disengaged, allowing the closure section to move between fixed (closed) and mobile (open) states without affecting the permanent wall mounting.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple hinge connection is used between front and rear frame members, then fabrication is simple, but the connection lacks sufficient strength to hold the frame securely
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connection utilizes a circular opening in the rear frame member that receives a cam member with a curved engagement surface. This circular geometry provides smooth rotational movement while distributing mechanical stress evenly around the hinge pivot point, enhancing connection strength without complicating fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge design changes the engagement parameter from a simple pin-to-hole connection to a cam-to-latch-plate surface engagement. The cam member's curved surface engages the latch plate over an area rather than at a single point, increasing the effective contact area and mechanical strength of the hinge connection.
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 simple, economical, and safe method for framing items, ensuring easy access and secure closure, preventing accidental opening and maintaining the integrity of displayed materials.
Implementation Method 1
a manually releasable gravity-actuated lock
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-purpose, front-loading display frame includes a front frame member having a pair of opposite first and second lateral side sections, a rear frame member having a pair of opposite first and second lateral side sections, at least one hinge for pivotally joining the first lateral side section of the front member to the first side section of the rear frame member to permit pivotal movement between an open position, in which the second side sections of the front and rear frame members may be pivoted apart from one another, and a closed position, in which the second side sections are disposed closely adjacent to one another. A lock is mounted on one of the second side sections of one of the front and rear frame members, and at least one latch plate is engageable with the lock. The latch plate is mounted on the other of the second side sections of the other of the front and rear frame members for cooperative engagement with the lock. One of the lock and the latch plate is fixed and the other is generally vertically reciprocable so that, when the front frame member and the rear frame members are in the closed position, one of the lock and latch plate is reciprocably moveable relative to the other for movement between a normally locked and a release position, respectively.