Flexible One-Piece Clip Placard Holder for Curved Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional placard holders are rigid and cannot be easily mounted to curved surfaces, leading to increased manufacturing costs and customer frustration due to jamming issues and security risks from accidental opening of two-piece clips.
Innovation Solution
A flexible placard holder with a one-piece clip biased in a closed position, fabricated from a single sheet of material with a frame defined by a top, bottom, side portions, and cross braces, allowing secure attachment to curved surfaces without damage, and featuring a spacer channel for easy placard and shield insertion and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional rigid placard holders are used, then manufacturing precision and structural stability are improved, but adaptability to curved surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The placard holder frame is constructed from flexible material that can bend and conform to curved surfaces such as tanker trailer sides and tank end caps, eliminating the need for rigid brackets while maintaining structural integrity for placard display
Solution Approach 2:
The frame material properties are changed from rigid to flexible, allowing the holder to adapt to various surface curvatures while still providing sufficient stiffness to hold placards securely in the desired orientation
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional stamped aluminum design is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible frame material allows the holder to bend slightly during placard insertion without kinking, and then spring back to its original shape, eliminating the jamming problem caused by rigid stamped aluminum frames
Solution Approach 2:
The frame transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can temporarily deform during operation to accommodate placard insertion and removal, then return to its original configuration
3Ease of manufacture
If two-piece clip design is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to accidental opening
Solution Approach 1:
The two separate clip pieces are merged into a single one-piece spring clip with an integrated spring mechanism, eliminating the gap between pieces that could accidentally open and ensuring continuous secure retention of the placard
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional two-piece clip design is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separate front and back clip pieces along with the spring mechanism are combined into a single integrated one-piece clip component, reducing the number of parts to manufacture and assemble while maintaining the spring-loaded retention function
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 flexible design enables secure and easy mounting to non-planar surfaces, reducing manufacturing costs and improving user experience by eliminating jamming and security risks, while ensuring compliance with regulations.
Implementation Method 1
a one-piece clip biased in a closed position for holding the placard in the frame
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to a placard holder and, more specifically, to a placard holder capable of being mounted to a curved surface.