Resilient Post Tag Hanger for Lightweight Collar Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tag hangers are cumbersome, heavy, and costly due to their metal latch mechanisms, which are complex and require a biasing element like a spring to maintain the latch in the closed state, making them unnecessarily heavy and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece tag hanger design featuring a first portion with a hook portion and a second portion that are rotatably attached, using a resilient post with retention features that compress and expand to secure the tag in place without the need for a spring, reducing weight and cost while maintaining attachment to a collar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal latch mechanism with spring is used to secure the tag, then the tag attachment reliability is improved, but the tag hanger weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spring component from the latch mechanism, extracting the biasing element that was causing excess weight. The resilient post alone provides the necessary retention function without requiring additional spring components, thereby reducing weight while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient post serves multiple functions: it acts as both the locking element and the biasing mechanism. When compressed during attachment, it automatically expands to hold the tag securely, eliminating the need for separate spring components and reducing overall complexity.
2Reliability
If a metal latch mechanism with spring is used to secure the tag, then the tag attachment reliability is improved, but the tag hanger complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking element and biasing element into a single resilient post component. This merging eliminates the need for separate spring components and simplifies the overall latch mechanism while maintaining the reliable securement function.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring component is extracted from the latch mechanism, reducing the number of parts and simplifying the design. The resilient post alone provides both locking and biasing functions, thereby reducing complexity and manufacturing cost.
3Weight of moving object
If a resilient post without spring is used to secure the tag, then the tag hanger weight and cost are reduced, but the latch mechanism reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material properties of the post to be resilient rather than rigid. This parameter change allows the post to deform elastically during attachment and then spring back to maintain secure retention, providing reliable locking without requiring a separate spring.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient post provides its own biasing force through elastic deformation, serving both as the locking element and the spring. This self-service capability ensures reliable tag retention while minimizing components and reducing weight.
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 design provides a lightweight, cost-effective, and simplified mechanism for attaching identification or pest-repellent tags to an animal's collar, ensuring secure attachment without the complexity and weight of traditional metal latch mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient post with retention features that compress and expand to secure the tag in place
Data Source
AI summary
A tag hanger is provided and may include a first portion having a first attachment feature and a first locking element movable from an unlocked state to a locked state. The tag hanger may additionally include a second portion having a second attachment feature rotatably attached to the first attachment feature and a second locking element movable from an unlocked state to a locked state. The second portion may cooperate with the first portion to define an aperture that attaches the first portion and the second portion to an external structure when the first and second locking elements are in the locked state.