Flip Placard Biasing Structure for Flutter and Hinge Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flip placards on moving vehicles experience premature hinge failure and wear due to fluttering, which is exacerbated by debris and limited access for legend changes, leading to scratches and difficulty in accessing displayed information.
Innovation Solution
A flip placard design incorporating a biasing member, such as a semi-circular cylinder or flat spring, positioned between the placards and base to push them away from the base, reducing flutter and wear, and facilitating easier legend changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If placards are seated in a recessed pocket on the base, then the placard structure is compact and stable, but the legends become difficult to access and users have limited space to change legends
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a biasing member that creates a dynamic lifting force on the placards, allowing them to be easily raised from the recessed pocket when needed. This dynamic mechanism enables users to access and change legends conveniently while maintaining the compact recessed structure when placards are in position.
2Adaptability or versatility
If placards are mounted on a moving vehicle, then the placard serves its intended function for speed display, but the placards experience fluttering that causes hinge wear and premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member applies a preliminary lifting force that counteracts the fluttering motion before it can cause significant wear. By maintaining the placards in a slightly elevated, stabilized position, the system prevents the harmful contact and vibration that would otherwise lead to hinge failure.
3Volume of moving object
If placards are positioned close to the base, then the overall device size is reduced, but debris can be trapped between the placards and base causing scratches and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member acts as an intermediary element between the placards and the base, maintaining a controlled gap that prevents debris accumulation. This intermediate component allows the placards to be positioned close to the base for compactness while simultaneously preventing harmful contact through the lifting force.
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 biasing member stabilizes the placards, preventing premature hinge failure and wear, while enhancing accessibility and reducing debris-induced damage, thus improving durability and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member positioned between the base and the placards for pushing the placards away from the base
Implementation Method 2
a foam biasing member mounted to the base adjacent a hinge and positioned between the base and the placards for pushing the placards away from the base
Data Source
AI summary
A flip placard for reducing placard fluttering including a base, a hinge on the base, a plurality of placards having an aperture therein to be mountable about and movable relative to the hinge and a biasing member positioned between the base and the placards for pushing the placards away from the base. The biasing member pushes the placards upward away from the base and toward an exterior portion of the hinge thus providing a force to hold the placards in a fixed portion and eliminate flutter and associated wear of the placards caused by fluttering. The biasing member also enables easier flipping of the placards when changing legends by presenting the placards to a user making the placards easier to flip.