Picture Frame Bracket with Tortuous Wire Path for Tool-Free Hanging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing picture frame hanging devices are complex, cumbersome, require special tools, and often lose or strip set screws, leading to operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A simple, single-part picture hanging system with brackets that use a tortuous path for the wire to create frictional engagement, eliminating the need for set screws and tools, securely holding conventional picture hanging wires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If set screws and special wire locking devices are used to secure the wire, then the wire can be held firmly, but the device becomes complex and requires special tools for installation and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes set screws and special wire locking devices from the system, extracting the problematic components that required tools and added complexity. The wire is secured purely through the tortuous path geometry that creates frictional engagement, eliminating the need for separate fastening elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The tortuous path structure secures the wire through its own geometric configuration rather than requiring external fastening components. The frictional force generated by the wire bending around the tortuous path automatically holds the wire in place, making the system self-securing without additional parts.
2Reliability
If multiple separate parts like eyelets and plugs are used to secure the wire, then the wire can be held securely, but the risk of parts being lost or misplaced increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate securing components (eyelets, plugs, set screws) into a single integrated tortuous path structure. The wire passes through and is secured by the continuous geometric configuration of the bracket, eliminating separate parts that could be lost or misplaced.
3Ease of operation
If conventional picture hanging wires are used with simple brackets, then the system is easy to use, but the wire may slip out under load
Solution Approach 1:
The tortuous path incorporates curved sections where the wire bends around specific radii. This curvature creates frictional engagement between the wire and the bracket structure, preventing slippage under load while maintaining ease of installation. The wire naturally friction-locks in the curved path without requiring additional fastening elements.
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 system is easy to use, tool-free, and securely holds picture frames without the risk of wire slippage, ensuring stability under load with conventional wires.
Implementation Method 1
a tortuous path for the picture hanging wire involving at least one bend of the wire about a radius that creates a frictional force between the wire and the bracket to at least sustain a tension representing the weight of the picture frame
Data Source
AI summary
A picture frame hanging system includes a picture frame hanging bracket attachable to opposite, lateral or side picture frame portions. Each bracket includes a tortuous path for the picture hanging wire involving at least one end of the wire being bent about a radius that creates frictional forces between the wire and the bracket to sustain a tension representing the weight of the picture frame without disengaging from the brackets under load. The method involves attaching opposing brackets on the lateral sides of the picture frame and advancing the respective ends of the picture hanging wire through a tortuous path requiring the bending of the wire about a radius sufficiently small to ensure adequate frictional engagement between the wire and the brackets to ensure that the ends of the wire remain entrained within the brackets notwithstanding the tension forces that are applied to the wire when the frame is hung on a surface by means of the wire.