Origami Target Sheet with Folded Sleeve Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing target systems for shooting sports are cumbersome, expensive, and difficult to transport due to their complex assembly and loss of fasteners, lacking portability and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A target system utilizing a sheet of cardboard with origami structures that fold into sleeve structures to securely attach to support poles, allowing for easy assembly, disassembly, and transportation, with the origami structures enabling the target to be flat when unfolded and forming sleeves to receive support poles when folded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional target stands with multiple fasteners are used, then the target can be securely supported, but the assembly becomes complex and fasteners are easily lost or misplaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes traditional fasteners (screws, bolts, clips) from the target support system entirely. Instead, the target sheet itself forms integrated sleeve structures that receive and retain support poles through friction and geometry alone, eliminating the need for separate fastening components and their associated complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the target sheet and support structure into a single integrated unit. The sleeve structures are formed directly from the target sheet material through folding and cutting, merging the function of the target surface and the support mechanism into one unified component rather than separate parts.
2Reliability
If traditional rigid target structures are used, then the target provides stable support, but it becomes cumbersome and expensive to transport and assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the target structure from a static rigid form to a dynamic collapsible form. The target sheet can be folded into a compact configuration for transport and then deployed into its functional supported configuration when needed, allowing the structure to adapt between storage and operational states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the target sheet to nest within itself or around support poles in a compact manner. When collapsed, the target sheet wraps around or nests with the support poles, creating a compact package that is easy to transport while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If traditional multi-component target systems are used, then the target can be securely mounted, but it is difficult to package for shipment and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple traditional components (target sheet, support structure, fasteners) into a single integrated target sheet assembly. The sleeve structures are formed directly from the target sheet material, eliminating separate components and enabling simple flat-pack shipping without complex packaging requirements.
4Reliability
If traditional targets with separate fasteners are used, then the target can be securely attached to stands, but the fasteners are easily lost or misplaced during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes all separate fastening components from the system. The attachment function is achieved through the geometry and friction of the sleeve structures retaining the support poles, eliminating small parts that could be lost or misplaced during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The target sheet performs its own fastening function through the integrated sleeve structures. The friction fit and geometric constraints of the sleeves automatically secure the support poles without requiring separate fasteners or complex assembly procedures.
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 solution provides a lightweight, inexpensive, and portable target system that is easy to construct and adjust, allowing for efficient setup and teardown, enhancing the convenience and accessibility of target shooting activities.
Implementation Method 1
Each origami structure is a partially cut-out and foldable structure formed in the material of the sheet being foldable from an unfolded condition to a folded condition
Data Source
AI summary
A target includes a sheet of a material, the sheet includes an uprange-facing surface, a downrange-facing surface, an upper end, a lower end, and opposed sides each formed with an origami structure. Each origami structure is a partially cut-out and foldable structure formed in the material of the sheet being foldable from an unfolded condition to a folded condition. Each origami structure is flattened in a direction toward the downrange-facing surface of the sheet, when in the unfolded condition, and forms a sleeve structure deployed rearwardly from the downrange-facing surface of the sheet that is adapted to receive a support pole therein for retaining the sheet to the support pole, when in the folded condition.