Modular Sign Assembly With Hidden Fasteners for Easier Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sign systems are cumbersome to install due to their weight and require fasteners on the display surface, which can obstruct message or advertising displays.
Innovation Solution
A modular sign design featuring an anterior piece with a flat display surface and a posterior piece that can be mounted separately, allowing for sliding engagement and securement without visible fasteners on the front surface, reducing the weight to be lifted during installation and maintaining a flat display area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional sign system is used, then the sign structure is stable and durable, but the installation becomes cumbersome due to weight and requires fasteners on the display surface
Solution Approach 1:
The sign is divided into two separate pieces: an anterior piece containing the display surface and a posterior piece serving as the support structure. This segmentation allows each piece to be lighter and easier to handle during installation, while still providing a stable assembled structure. The anterior piece can be separately manufactured and then attached to the posterior piece, reducing the weight that needs to be lifted and manipulated at one time.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure (posterior piece) is extracted and separated from the display surface (anterior piece). This allows the display surface to be free of fasteners and mounting hardware, eliminating obstructions on the display area. The posterior piece can be mounted to the supporting structure first, then the anterior piece is attached without requiring fasteners on the display surface itself.
2Ease of operation
If fasteners are used to secure the sign, then the sign structure is stable, but the display surface becomes obstructed by fasteners
Solution Approach 1:
The fasteners and attachment mechanisms are extracted from the display surface and relocated to the peripheral portions of the anterior piece. This allows the display surface to remain completely free of obstructions, providing a flat and consistent surface for messages or advertising displays. The attachment function is maintained through fasteners that engage the peripheral portions of the anterior piece with the posterior piece, keeping the display area clear.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment function is moved from the two-dimensional display surface to the one-dimensional peripheral edges of the anterior piece. By placing fasteners only at the periphery, the display surface area remains unobstructed, while the peripheral portions provide sufficient attachment points to maintain structural stability.
3Ease of operation
If the sign is designed as a single piece, then the structure is simple, but the installation requires lifting and manipulating the full weight
Solution Approach 1:
The sign is segmented into an anterior piece and a posterior piece that can be assembled together. This segmentation reduces the weight that needs to be lifted during installation, as only approximately one-half of the full weight needs to be manipulated at any one time. The posterior piece can be mounted to the supporting structure first, then the anterior piece is attached, simplifying the installation process despite the increased structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A sign system comprises one or more box-like modules having a front section and a corresponding rear section sized to fit together in sliding engagement to define an interior cavity. The sections may be joined together with fasteners which engage the side panels of each section thereby leaving the front and rear surfaces free of discontinuities. The sign modules may be affixed to a generally planar surface or supported on internal or external mounting posts. During installation, the rear section may be mounted first and the front section subsequently attached to the rear section. In this way only approximately one-half of the total weight of the sign need be lifted and manipulated at any one time thereby facilitating installation. The interior cavity defined by the front and rear sections may accommodate lighting means for internally lighting the sign.