Origami Foldable Coaster Stand for Mobile Phones
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Solution Overview
Problem
The ubiquity of smartphones has led to a persistent challenge of finding clean and secure surfaces to place them, especially in public environments, where users often risk exposing their devices to dirt, spills, or other contaminants.
Innovation Solution
A foldable coaster stand made from materials like fiberboard, cardboard, or similar adaptable materials, which transforms from a flat coaster into an angled stand through an origami-style mechanism, providing a stable and clean surface for mobile phones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users place mobile phones on public surfaces (tabletops, counters, bar surfaces), then the convenience of phone placement is improved, but the cleanliness and safety of the phone deteriorates due to exposure to dirt, spills, or contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coaster as an intermediary object between the phone and the public surface. The coaster serves as a mediator that provides a clean, protective barrier while allowing the phone to be placed conveniently on the surface below. This resolves the contradiction by enabling phone placement convenience without direct contact with potentially contaminated surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The coaster is designed with segmented, foldable sections that can be collapsed into a compact flat state for portability and expanded into a three-dimensional structure when needed. This segmentation allows the coaster to be easily carried without adding bulk, while providing full protective function when deployed.
2Reliability
If traditional phone holders or separate phone stands are used, then the protection and stability of the phone is improved, but the portability and ease of use deteriorates due to cumbersome design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of a coaster (protective surface) and a phone stand (support structure) into a single integrated object. The coaster's foldable design inherently creates a stable platform for phone placement when expanded, eliminating the need for separate phone holder accessories. This merging provides both protection and stability while maintaining portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coaster transitions from a static flat design to a dynamic, expandable structure. The foldable sections can be collapsed for compact storage and easily expanded into a three-dimensional support structure when needed, providing adaptive functionality that maintains both portability and stability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a foldable coaster stand design is used, then the portability and versatility are improved, but the structural complexity increases due to origami-style folding mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The coaster is pre-scored and pre-folded along specific lines during manufacturing, creating predetermined fold lines and creases. This preliminary preparation allows the coaster to be easily assembled by the end user without requiring complex tools or instructions, reducing the perceived complexity despite the sophisticated folding mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The origami-style folding mechanism is designed to be self-assembling through simple user actions. The geometric design inherently guides the folding process, allowing the coaster to transform from a flat state to a three-dimensional structure through intuitive manipulation without requiring external assistance or complex mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The embodiments herein provide for folding coaster stands for mobile phones. In particular, the present disclosure encompasses a number of unique designs that offer users alternatives to placing their phones on unsanitary surfaces, with varying angles of display. Each design features an initially flat shape (e.g., a square, rectangular, or circular shape, similar to a standard coaster), ingeniously folding into a three-dimensional orientation through an origami-style mechanism. This transformation allows users to prop up and securely rest their mobile phones on a stable and clean surface.