Invertible Christmas tree
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible Christmas trees require significant labor and strength to transition from a collapsed to a deployed configuration, posing difficulties for users due to the need to reorient the entire tree, which can be dangerous and inaccessible for many individuals.
Innovation Solution
An artificial Christmas tree design featuring a central trunk with two pivotable trunk portions, allowing for automatic deployment by inverting the tree, with limbs that pivot between collapsed and deployed orientations, facilitated by a pivot joint and a clasp for secure positioning, and optionally including a wheeled base for easy movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the entire tree is reoriented to deploy limbs, then limbs can be deployed, but the process requires significant strength and dexterity and is dangerous for many users
Solution Approach 1:
The tree is divided into a stationary base portion and a movable upper portion that can be independently manipulated. The pivot joint separates the trunk into segments, allowing the upper portion to rotate without moving the entire tree, thereby reducing the strength and dexterity required for deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
A pivot joint acts as an intermediary mechanism between the base and the upper trunk portions. This intermediary allows rotational movement and automatic deployment of limbs through gravity, eliminating the need for users to manually reorient the entire tree and reducing safety risks.
2Ease of operation
If limbs are pivotably attached to allow automatic deployment, then deployment becomes easier, but the mechanism requires a pivot joint and clasp adding device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The limb attachment mechanism uses gravity and the pivot joint to enable automatic deployment without manual intervention. Once the upper trunk portion rotates, the limbs automatically pivot into their deployed positions, and the clasp secures them without requiring additional complex actuation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of manually positioning each limb, the system inverts the approach by using the rotation of the upper trunk portion to automatically position the limbs. The gravitational force that would normally cause limbs to hang down is inverted to become the driving force for deployment when the trunk rotates.
3Volume of moving object
If the tree is designed for compact storage, then storage space is reduced, but the tree must be completely collapsed which complicates the deployment process
Solution Approach 1:
The tree is segmented into a stationary base and a movable upper portion that can be independently collapsed and stored. This segmentation allows the upper portion to be compacted vertically while the base remains stable, simplifying both storage and deployment compared to collapsing the entire tree.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot joint is positioned to allow the upper trunk portion to rotate freely between vertical and horizontal orientations. This equipotential design ensures that gravity can easily facilitate the rotation and deployment process without requiring additional force, making the transition from compact storage to deployed state simple and intuitive.
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial Christmas tree includes a central trunk broken into at least two separate portions including a fixed trunk portion and at least one rotating trunk portion. The fixed trunk extends up from an underlying base. Rotating trunks rotatably attach at midpoints thereof at least indirectly to an upper end of the fixed trunk. Limbs are pivotably attached to the rotating trunks with optional lights coupled thereto. These limbs pivot between a perpendicular orientation extending from the rotating trunks and a collapsed configuration closer to a centerline of the rotating trunks. The rotating trunks can be pivoted from a first collapsed configuration with a first end above a second end to a deployed configuration with the second end above the first end. During pivoting, the limbs attached to the rotating trunk transition between a collapsed to a deployed configuration automatically. A wheeled base and cover further facilitate storage and deployment.