Hat Bracket with Whale Tail Support to Preserve Crown Shape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hat hangers alter the original shape of hats by engaging them at stress points like the bill, bead, or back, leading to loss of integrity and limited configuration options for multiple hats.
Innovation Solution
A bracket design that engages hats at the front back of the bill where the crown meets the brim, using a 'whale tail' to distribute stress and provide balance, allowing for infinite connections and versatile mounting configurations, including stacking and folding, with a trapezoidal sliding and locking mechanism for multiple devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional hat hangers engage the bill, bead, or back of the hat, then the hat can be hung and stored, but the original shape and integrity of the hat is altered and lost over time
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is designed to engage the hat at a specific local region - the front back of the bill where the crown meets the bill - rather than at stress points like the bill tip, bead, or back. This localized engagement point was specifically chosen to avoid deforming critical structural areas while still providing secure hanging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket acts as an intermediary device between the hat and the hanging structure. By introducing this intermediate element, the hat itself does not bear the full stress of hanging, instead the bracket absorbs and distributes the forces, protecting the hat's structural integrity while enabling hanging storage.
2Device complexity
If a single post or mount is used for hanging hats, then the device is simple, but only one hat can be hung and no options for multiple hats are provided
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger system is segmented into multiple independent bracket units that can be individually attached to the vertical post. Each bracket can hold one or more hats, and the modular design allows users to configure the number and position of brackets according to their needs, transforming a single-function post into a versatile multi-hat storage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical post and bracket system is designed to perform multiple functions: it can hold hats in various orientations (front facing, sideways, stacked), accommodate different hat types, and be configured in numerous arrangements. This universal design replaces the need for multiple specialized hangers with a single adaptable system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If devices provide options for a defined number of hats to be mounted on one device, then organization is improved, but the number of contact points is pre-determined by the manufacturer and lacks flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, pre-configured hanger design to a dynamic, user-configurable system. Brackets can be freely positioned and repositioned along the vertical post, allowing the contact points and hanging capacity to adapt to changing user needs rather than being fixed at manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The design adds vertical dimensionality to hat organization by utilizing a vertical post with brackets that can be positioned at different heights. This transforms the traditional single-level horizontal hanging into a multi-level vertical system, dramatically increasing organization options without complicating the basic structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A hat bracket supports hats having a bill extending from a crown. The bracket has a back plate which may have bores therethrough. The back plate connects at an upper portion to a top arm which extends forwardly and downwardly relative to the back plate. A bottom arm extends forwardly and upwardly relative to the back plate and provides a hat support, such as a whale tail, onto which a rear of the crown is supported with the bill extending upwardly and prevented from outward rotation by the top arm. Multiple brackets may be connected together.