Grille-Mounted License Plate Holder With Four-Point Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Many vehicles lack front license plate mounts, necessitating a solution to securely attach a license plate without drilling into the bumper or damaging the vehicle, while also being easily attachable and detachable.
Innovation Solution
A device with a holder frame, hooks, guide shafts, sliders, levers, and a handle bar that engages the vehicle's grill at multiple points, allowing secure attachment and detachment without damaging the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drilling holes in the bumper to attach the license plate holder, then the attachment security is improved, but the vehicle body is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the vehicle's front grill as an intermediary mounting surface instead of drilling into the bumper. The license plate holder attaches to the grill via hooks that engage with grill bars, providing secure attachment without damaging the vehicle body. This intermediary approach allows the mounting system to leverage the existing grill structure for support.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the mounting function from the bumper and relocates it to the front grill. By separating the attachment function from the original bumper location and implementing it on the grill instead, the system achieves secure mounting without compromising the bumper integrity.
2Reliability
If using a permanent mounting system, then the attachment security is improved, but the ease of installation and removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system transitions from a static permanent attachment to a dynamic reversible connection. The hooks can be easily engaged with the grill bars for installation and disengaged for removal. The lever-operated sliders provide a mechanical advantage that enables secure attachment with simple manual operations, allowing the system to adapt between secured and unsecured states as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system is divided into separate functional components: hooks for engagement, sliders for movement along guide shafts, and levers for securing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, enabling easy installation by simply engaging the hooks and securing with levers, and easy removal by reversing the process.
3Reliability
If using multiple hooks and sliders, then the attachment security is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional elements are merged into integrated assemblies. The hooks are combined with sliders that move along guide shafts, and each slider is connected to a lever mechanism. This merging creates coordinated units where the hook-slider-lever assembly on each side works together to provide secure attachment, reducing the need for separate independent components.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle bar serves multiple functions: it connects the first and second levers, provides a convenient grip for operating both levers simultaneously, and acts as a structural support element. The levers themselves serve dual purposes by both securing the sliders in place and providing the mechanical advantage needed for easy operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for securing a display to a vehicle grill is disclosed, where the device includes a display holder that can hold license plates. The device includes a holder frame having a first end, a first side panel, and a second side panel, where the first end is configured to hold a display. A first hook and second hook are configured to engage a first portion of a front grill of a vehicle. Levers are connected to sliders and a handle bar connects the first lever to the second lever. The hook of the first slider and the hook of the second slider are configured to engage a second portion of the front grill of the vehicle. Together, the lower hooks and upper hooks lock onto the vehicle grill to secure the device with four points of contact in multiple locations.