Foldable Five-Star Foot with Modular Leg Segmentation to Reduce Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable five-star feet suffer from unstable structures, reduced strength during use, and accidental unfolding, leading to unnecessary complexity in installation and increased waste due to integrated designs that require whole unit replacement when one leg is broken.
Innovation Solution
A foldable five-star foot design featuring a center body with first and second mounting grooves and connecting blocks that securely clamp and fix legs, utilizing a two-groove and two-block matching system for high connection strength, along with limiting blocks and clamping points to prevent slipping and ensure stable folding and unfolding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If an integrated five-star foot structure is used, then the structure is simple and strong, but when one leg is broken the whole unit must be replaced causing waste and high transport cost
Solution Approach 1:
The five-star foot is divided into modular components: a center body and multiple detachable legs. Each leg can be independently replaced without discarding the entire structure, thereby reducing material waste while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.
2Strength
If the five-star foot is made as an integrated structure, then it has high strength, but it occupies large space during storage and transport
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the five-star foot into a center body and separate legs with standardized mounting grooves and blocks, the structure can be disassembled into compact components for efficient storage and transport, then reassembled to restore full structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable legs can be stored within or alongside the center body, creating a nested configuration that minimizes storage volume while maintaining the capability to assemble into a strong, functional structure when needed.
3Ease of operation
If a foldable five-star foot is designed for easy folding, then folding convenience is improved, but the use strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The foldable five-star foot uses segmented legs that can be detached and folded independently. The standardized mounting grooves and connecting blocks provide robust mechanical connections that maintain strength during both folded and unfolded states, eliminating the strength compromise associated with traditional foldable designs.
4Ease of operation
If existing foldable five-star feet are designed for easy folding, then folding is convenient, but they tend to separate from the center body adding installation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized mounting grooves on the center body and corresponding connecting blocks on the legs create intuitive, tool-free assembly and disassembly mechanisms. This segmentation with standardized interfaces simplifies both folding and installation operations, eliminating the complexity found in existing foldable designs.
5Volume of moving object
If existing five-star feet are folded, then they save space, but they tend to unfold by accidents affecting use
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable leg design with standardized mounting grooves and connecting blocks allows the folded structure to be securely locked in place. The mechanical interlocking provided by the connecting blocks prevents accidental unfolding while maintaining compact storage volume.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a foldable five-star foot, comprising a center body and five legs; each one of the legs is provided with a first mounting block and a second mounting block; each one of the first mounting blocks corresponds to a first mounting groove; each one of the second mounting blocks corresponds to a second mounting groove; and the first and second mounting grooves are formed on the center body. The first mounting groove and the second mounting groove are internally provided with a pair of a first connecting block and a second connecting block; each one of the first connecting blocks is connected with each corresponding one of the first mounting blocks, and each one of the second connecting blocks is connected with each corresponding one of the second mounting blocks. The five-star foot is advantaged in simple and reliable structure, convenient folding, large application scope and easy popularization.