Invertible Christmas Tree Trunk for Automatic Limb Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible artificial 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
A collapsible artificial tree design featuring a rotating trunk with a pivot joint allows for automatic deployment by inverting the tree, where the rotating trunk pivots 180°, enabling limbs to pivot from a collapsed to a deployed position without manual reorientation, supported by a fixed trunk and facilitated by a wheeled base for easy movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the entire tree is picked up and reoriented to deploy limbs, then the limbs can be transitioned from collapsed to deployed orientation, but the operation becomes highly labor intensive and dangerous for users lacking strength or dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The trunk is divided into a fixed portion and a rotating portion that can independently pivot relative to each other. This segmentation allows the rotating portion with limbs to be reoriented without moving the entire tree, reducing the force required from the user and enabling easier deployment of limbs.
2Ease of operation
If limbs are pivotably attached to allow automatic deployment upon inversion, then the deployment process becomes simpler, but the structural complexity of the trunk increases with the addition of a pivot joint
Solution Approach 1:
The tree is designed to be inverted for deployment rather than upright. The rotating trunk portion pivots 180 degrees from an inverted collapsed orientation to an upright deployed orientation, automatically positioning the limbs in their deployed position. This inversion approach simplifies the deployment process while the pivot joint provides the necessary rotational capability.
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
Enables easy and safe transition from a collapsed to a deployed configuration with minimal strength or dexterity required, reducing the risk of injury or damage, and allowing for quick setup and storage while maintaining light integration.
Implementation Method 1
These limbs pivot between a perpendicular orientation and a collapsed orientation pivoting toward the second end of the rotating trunk portion somewhat away from the deployed position. Such pivoting can occur by gravity or through manual movement of the limbs.
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial Christmas tree includes a central trunk broken into two separate portions including a fixed trunk portion and a rotating trunk portion. The fixed trunk extends up from an underlying base. The rotating trunk rotatably attaches at a midpoint thereof to an upper end of the fixed trunk. Limbs are pivotably attached to the rotating trunk with optional lights coupled thereto. These limbs pivot between a perpendicular orientation extending from the rotating trunk and a collapsed configuration closer to a centerline of the rotating trunk. The rotating trunk 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 such 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.