Foldable Outdoor Ornament With Hinged Panels and Stake Brackets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor display ornaments are often bulky, difficult to set up and store, and lack interactivity, as they do not provide the ability for users to customize them with messages or artwork like traditional greeting cards.
Innovation Solution
A foldable outdoor ornament resembling a traditional greeting card, with hinged panels and brackets for securing stakes, allowing for writing on interior surfaces and optional electronic features like lights, and additional fasteners for customization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional outdoor ornaments are made large and bulky for visibility, then they provide good visual display, but they become difficult to set up, tear down, maneuver, and store
Solution Approach 1:
The ornament is divided into multiple panels that can be folded together like a greeting card. This segmentation allows the large display surface to be broken into manageable sections that can be easily assembled and disassembled, resolving the contradiction between large display area and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ornament incorporates foldable panels with hinges, transforming from a static rigid structure to a dynamic foldable structure. This allows the ornament to change its configuration between a large display state and a compact storage state, simultaneously achieving good visual display and ease of setup/storage.
2Stability of the object's composition
If outdoor ornaments are made static for structural stability, then they maintain structural integrity, but they lack interactivity and user engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The ornament pre-provides writing surfaces on its panels, enabling users to immediately interact with it by writing messages or creating artwork. This preliminary preparation of interactive surfaces resolves the contradiction by maintaining structural stability while enabling user engagement through pre-configured writing areas.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If ornaments are designed for permanent display, then they provide continuous visual enjoyment, but they occupy large storage space when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The foldable panel structure allows the ornament to transition between a large display configuration and a compact storage configuration. This dynamic capability enables the ornament to provide continuous visual enjoyment when displayed while occupying minimal storage space when folded, resolving the contradiction between display duration and storage volume.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable outdoor ornament includes a first panel and a second panel connected via one or more hinges. The first and second panels can fold between a folded position for storage and an open position for use. Brackets are affixed to a rear side of the first panel and a rear side of the second panel. Each bracket includes an upper leg attached to a rear side of one of the first panel or second panel and a lower leg extending perpendicularly outwardly from the rear side of one of the first panel or the second panel. The lower leg of each bracket includes an aperture. A stake is removably secured within each aperture, such that the ornament can be secured to the ground in the open position. The ornament resembles a traditional greeting card such as a birthday card and includes surfaces adapted for users to write messages thereon.