Foam Cord Restraint Structure for Easy Retrieval and Secure Hold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical cords, such as phone charging cords, are easily dislodged from charging surfaces and difficult to locate, often ending up on the floor, requiring inconvenient searches or furniture adjustments, especially in vehicles where safety is a concern.
Innovation Solution
A flexible foam body with a channel that securely engages the cord through surface friction, preventing dislodgment and facilitating retrieval, constructed from materials like polyurethane foam that provide effective gripping and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electrical cord is placed loosely on the charging surface, then it is easy to access and insert, but it easily dislodges and falls off the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible foam body that can be compressed to open the channel for easy cord insertion, then expands to securely hold the cord in place. The flexible nature allows both easy access and reliable retention without requiring complex mechanical fastening mechanisms.
2Reliability
If the electrical cord is restrained tightly to prevent dislodgment, then it remains in place reliably, but it becomes difficult to locate and retrieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a visually distinct channel or opening in the foam body that makes the cord's location easily detectable. The channel may be colored differently or have a visual contrast that allows users to quickly locate and retrieve the cord without having to search extensively.
3Reliability
If a rigid structure is used to hold the cord securely, then the cord is restrained effectively, but it becomes difficult to insert and remove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic foam body that changes its structural properties on demand. When force is applied to compress the foam, the channel opens to allow easy cord insertion. Once the compressive force is released, the foam returns to its original shape, securely restraining the cord without requiring rigid mechanical components.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the foam body diameter is made much larger than the cord diameter, then the cord is easily located and the restraint is effective, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual contrast between the foam body and the channel through which the cord passes. The channel may be a different color, texture, or have visual markers that make the cord's location immediately apparent, even when the overall device size is minimized. This allows effective cord restraint and easy detection without requiring a proportionally large device volume.
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 cord restraint effectively keeps the electrical cord in place, making it easier to find and reducing the risk of it falling, while allowing easy insertion and removal, and can be used in various settings including vehicles and waterproof devices.
Implementation Method 1
circumferentially engaging the electrical cord in the channel via surface friction
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method for holding an electrical cord, such as a cellular phone charging cord, so that the electrical cord is easily restrained, located and retrieved. The device may be constructed of a flexible body that may be in any desirable shape. The body is provided with a slit that extends some distance, and in some embodiments, approximately halfway through the body. An electrical cord can be inserted through the slit. At the center of the body, the slit is enlarged to form a channel for receiving the cord. With the cord thus secured within the channel, the body makes the cord easier to find and less likely to slip or fall off of a surface where the cord is to be placed.