Foldable Tubular Sections for Stable Compact Collapsible Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current foldable tubular structures are unstable in the unfolded position, require soft materials, and lack versatility in shape and production methods, making them inefficient for various applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of collapsible articles composed of stable, compact, and versatile foldable sections that can be made from different materials and produced using various methods, allowing for both cylindrical and conical shapes, enabling easy conversion between unfolded and folded states while maintaining stability and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional foldable tubular structures are used, then the article can be collapsed and compacted, but the structure becomes unstable in unfolded position and requires very soft materials
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular structure is divided into multiple rigid segments or panels that are connected through hinges or joints. Each segment maintains its structural integrity while allowing relative movement between segments during collapse and expansion. This segmentation enables the structure to achieve both compact folded state and stable unfolded configuration, as each rigid segment provides structural support while the articulated connections enable volume reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite construction combining rigid materials (such as plastics, metals, or reinforced composites) with flexible connection elements (hinges, joints, or articulated mechanisms). This composite approach allows the main structural components to be rigid and stable when unfolded, while the flexible connections enable controlled collapse and compact storage, resolving the contradiction between rigidity for stability and flexibility for compaction.
2Volume of moving object
If conventional foldable structures are used, then the article can be collapsed, but they require intensive corrugation of the surface making cleaning and maintenance difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the structure into discrete rigid segments connected by joints, the invention eliminates the need for continuous surface corrugation. Each segment can have a smooth, simple surface that is easy to clean, while the segmentation itself provides the folding capability through articulated connections between segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from static corrugated surfaces to dynamic articulated mechanisms. The folding action is achieved through controlled movement of rigid segments via hinges and joints, rather than through deformation of corrugated surfaces. This dynamic approach maintains smooth surfaces on all segments while enabling collapse functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional folding principles are used, then the structure can be collapsed, but they do not offer variability in shape and are limited to specific geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs universal articulated joint mechanisms that can accommodate different segment configurations and geometries. The same basic hinge-and-segment framework can be adapted to create various shapes (cylindrical, conical, irregular) by changing the number, size, and arrangement of segments rather than requiring fundamentally different folding mechanisms for each shape.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the structure can have locally optimized segment and joint configurations to achieve specific geometric requirements. For example, conical portions can use segments of varying sizes arranged in a gradient pattern, while cylindrical portions use uniform segments, all within the same articulated framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible article comprising a plurality of foldably interconnected foldable sections/modules. The foldable sections can be part of cylindrical or conical surfaces. They can also be in the form of closing sections. When the foldable sections are part of tubular surfaces, either cylindrical or conical, they consist of four polygonal surface segments. The polygonal segments are curved/round in unfolded state and have a flat or approximately flat shape in partly folded and folded states. The folding process usually involves an abrupt transition between the unfolded and folded positions which makes the unfolded article almost as stable as non-foldable equivalents. The folding process usually requires application of force on the edges that form valley creases during folding.