Interlocking Resilient Shim Structure for Leveling Uneven Supports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions fail to effectively stabilize and level articles on uneven support surfaces, leading to instability, vibration, and unwanted movement, particularly in furniture and industrial equipment, which can cause damage and noise.
Innovation Solution
A stabilization device with a resilient body featuring offset rows of teeth on both surfaces, allowing for adjustable alignment and interlocking, made from materials like polyethylene, polypropylene, and acetal, which can be stacked and used with different materials for enhanced stability and vibration control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If adjustable pads (threaded bolts) are used to level furniture, then the support plane can be adjusted to achieve stability, but the device complexity increases and the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive shims made from compressible material that can be easily inserted and removed without complex adjustment mechanisms. These shims provide stable leveling support through their compressible properties rather than through adjustable mechanical means, eliminating threading, bolts, and complex assembly requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The shims utilize compression as a variable parameter to achieve leveling. By compressing the shim material between the support leg and the floor, the thickness and height of the shim can be adjusted to create a stable support plane, replacing the need for threaded adjustments while maintaining stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If freely sliding wedges interconnected by threaded shafts are used to level heavy machinery, then the support can be vertically adjusted to achieve stability, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of leveling and stabilization from complex mechanical systems and implements it through simple compressible shims. The shims provide the necessary vertical adjustment and stabilization without requiring threaded shafts, sliding mechanisms, or interconnected assemblies, thereby dramatically reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using expensive, complex adjustable support mechanisms, the patent employs simple, inexpensive shims made from compressible material that can be easily inserted, compressed, and removed. These shims provide effective stabilization through their material properties rather than through complex mechanical structures.
3Manufacturing precision
If threaded bolts with support pads are used to adjust the support plane, then all common support points can be leveled, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shims are manufactured as simple, inexpensive components from compressible material without requiring precise threading, machining, or assembly operations. Their simplicity in manufacture contrasts with threaded bolts that require precise threading, head formation, and pad attachment, while still achieving the necessary manufacturing precision for leveling through compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The shims achieve precise leveling through compression of the material, which allows for fine adjustment of the support height. This method of adjustment is simpler to manufacture than threaded mechanisms, as it relies on the inherent compressible properties of the material rather than requiring precision-machined threads and adjustable components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides effective stabilization and leveling, preventing tipping and vibration, while being adaptable for various applications, including furniture and industrial equipment, and can be easily installed and removed, reducing material costs and damage risks.
Implementation Method 1
A stabilization device is provided that includes a resilient body that has an upper surface and a lower surface
Implementation Method 2
resilient body that has an upper surface and a lower surface
Implementation Method 3
The teeth are spaced apart from one another by a selected pitch
Data Source
AI summary
A stabilization device is provided that includes a resilient body that has an upper surface and a lower surface. The body includes a first set of teeth located on the upper surface and distributed about a first axis. The teeth are spaced apart from one another by a selected pitch. The body also includes a second set of teeth located on the upper surface and distributed about a second axis. Like the first set the second set of teeth are spaced apart a selected second pitch. The first and second sets of teeth are offset from each other along either the first or second axis. The lower surface of the body preferably includes a similar arrangement of teeth.