Elastomeric holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toiletry holders, mirrors, and make-up holders that attach to vertical surfaces face issues with repeated installation and removal, manufacturing complexity, water exposure, and difficulty in cleaning, often requiring adhesives or suction cups that can break and accumulate dirt.
Innovation Solution
Elastomeric holders with a planar rear surface for adhesive-free attachment to vertical surfaces, featuring a retainer with a peripheral edge for secure grip and easy cleaning, made from silicone rubber for durability and hygiene, allowing for repeated use without damaging the surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If suction cups are used to attach holders to vertical surfaces, then temporary installation is enabled, but the suction cups are prone to breakage and cannot withstand repeated installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is divided into two separate components: a suction cup portion and a holder portion. The suction cup portion can be detached and replaced independently, allowing the holder portion to be reused without damage while the suction cup can be refreshed when worn. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling temporary installation through the suction cup while protecting the main holder structure from breakage during repeated installation cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cup portion is designed to be disposable or replaceable, while the holder portion is recovered and reused. When the suction cup becomes worn or damaged, it can be discarded and replaced with a new one, while the main holder structure remains intact for continued use. This approach enables repeated installation and removal without compromising the durability of the permanent holder components.
2Reliability
If permanently installed holders are used, then stable attachment is achieved, but the surface is damaged and repeated removal is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The holder system is segmented into a permanent holder portion and a temporary suction cup portion. The holder portion can be permanently mounted to the surface with fixtures or adhesive for stable attachment, while the suction cup portion remains detachable for repeated installation and removal without damaging the surface. This segmentation allows both stable attachment and repeated repositioning to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cup portion acts as an intermediary between the holder and the vertical surface. Instead of directly mounting the holder to the surface with adhesives or fixtures that cause damage, the suction cup serves as a reversible interface that provides stable attachment during use but can be removed without surface damage, enabling repeated installation cycles.
3Adaptability or versatility
If holder portion and suction cup portion are manufactured separately and assembled, then manufacturing flexibility is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup portion and holder portion are merged into a single integrated unit through overmolding. The suction cup is overmolded directly onto the holder portion, creating a unified component that eliminates the need for separate assembly steps. This merging maintains manufacturing flexibility through modular design while significantly reducing assembly complexity by eliminating intermediate assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder utilizes composite construction with different materials for different portions. The holder portion can be made from rigid materials suitable for mounting, while the suction cup portion is made from elastomeric materials suitable for sealing and suction. These portions are combined through overmolding technology, allowing each to be optimized for its specific function while simplifying the overall manufacturing process by creating a single integrated component.
4Strength
If traditional holders with joins are used, then structural integrity is achieved, but dirt and grime accumulate at joins making cleaning difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup portion and holder portion are merged into a seamless integrated unit through overmolding, eliminating joins and crevices where dirt and grime could accumulate. The smooth, continuous surface created by this merging maintains structural integrity while dramatically improving cleanability, allowing the entire holder to be easily washed without difficult-to-reach areas.
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 elastomeric holders provide a secure, easy-to-clean, and hygienic solution for toiletry, mirror, and make-up holders that can be repeatedly attached and removed without adhesives or suction cups, suitable for wet environments and easy to manufacture, maintaining their adhesive properties.
Implementation Method 1
configured to releasably adhere to a vertical surface without the use of adhesives
Data Source
AI summary
Elastomeric holders in the form of toiletry holders, mirrors holders, shower caddies and make-up holders. The holders comprise a body, having a substantially planar rear surface, configured to releasably adhere to a vertical surface without the use of adhesives, and a retainer, for retaining an item and formed at least in part by the body, such that a front surface of the body forms a peripheral edge around the retainer.