Foldable Arm Structure for Portable Mobile Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for hanging children's entertainment assemblies, such as mobiles, are often not portable and lack adjustability, requiring substantial installation time and being limited to specific attachment points, making them inflexible for use in various settings.
Innovation Solution
A foldable arm with a first member for securing to objects like cribs and a second member for hanging entertainment assemblies, featuring pivotable and rotatable components that allow for adjustable positioning and easy deployment, enabling secure and versatile attachment to different objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid arm is used to hang a mobile, then the mobile can be securely displayed, but the installation requires substantial time and is not portable
Solution Approach 1:
The arm is divided into multiple segments (first member, central member, second member) that can be independently positioned and folded relative to each other. This segmentation allows the arm to be quickly deployed and stored without requiring complex installation procedures, resolving the contradiction between secure display and installation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic foldable structure with movable joints and adjustable members. The first member can pivot between deployed and stored positions, and the second member can rotate to orient the mobile, enabling quick setup and teardown while maintaining secure display when deployed.
2Ease of manufacture
If an arm is designed to attach to one specific object, then attachment is simple, but the arm lacks adjustability for different settings
Solution Approach 1:
The arm is designed with universal attachment capabilities through the closing mechanism that can secure to various objects (cribs, strollers, playpens). The first member's pivotable connection and the second member's rotational capability enable the same structure to adapt to different attachment points and orientations, achieving versatility without compromising attachment simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic design allows the arm to adapt to different settings through adjustable positioning. The first member pivots to accommodate different attachment geometries, while the second member rotates to orient the mobile in various directions, providing adaptability across multiple settings while maintaining simple attachment via the closing mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a foldable arm with multiple moving parts is used, then portability and adjustability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The arm is segmented into three main members (first member, central member, second member) connected by simple pivot joints. This segmentation provides the necessary portability and adjustability while keeping each segment relatively simple in structure. The closing mechanism is also segmented into a locking ring and claws, allowing independent operation of each functional element.
Solution Approach 2:
When the first member is in the stored position, it is substantially adjacent to the central member with axes aligned, creating a compact nested configuration. This nesting minimizes the overall size when folded, improving portability without requiring complex folding mechanisms, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable arm is provided including a central member with a longitudinal body having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end. A first member is pivotally connected to the proximal end of the longitudinal body of the central member and movable between a stored position substantially adjacent to the central member and a deployed position extending away from the central member. A second member is pivotally connected to the distal end of the longitudinal body of the central member and movable between a stored position in which the second member is nested within a recess define along the longitudinal body of the central member and a deployed position in which the second member extends away from the central member.