Segmented Hat Bill with Interlocking Links for Flat Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hat bills, such as those on baseball caps, are difficult to fold and maintain in a flat position once folded, requiring skill and not easily reversible to their original shape.
Innovation Solution
The use of interconnected links with varying top and bottom lips and locking mechanisms allows for adjustable shaping of the bill, enabling it to be folded into different configurations and returned to a flat position, with specific positions indicated by firmer holding interactions between the links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a bill is folded, then it maintains a curved shape, but it cannot return to a flat position and requires skill to fold properly
Solution Approach 1:
The bill is divided into multiple segments or sections that can independently pivot relative to each other. This segmentation allows the bill to be folded into curved shapes while maintaining the ability to return to a flat position, as each segment can move independently through hinge joints rather than requiring the entire bill to be deformed at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The bill incorporates dynamic elements such as hinges, pivots, or flexible joints that enable reversible motion. These mechanical features allow the bill to transition between flat and curved states multiple times without permanent deformation, eliminating the need for skilled folding and allowing users to achieve proper shapes easily.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a bill is made rigid to maintain shape, then it holds its form well, but it cannot be adjusted between flat and curved states
Solution Approach 1:
The bill uses dynamic joint mechanisms that provide stable positioning at specific angles while allowing transition between different configurations. The hinges or pivots maintain the bill in desired shapes once positioned, yet enable easy adjustment between flat and curved states, combining stability with adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bill's configuration is changed by adjusting parameters such as the angle between segments or the position of flexible joints. This allows the bill to maintain stable shapes at specific parameter values while enabling easy adjustment to different configurations by changing these parameters, rather than requiring rigid construction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a bill is made flexible to allow folding, then it can be reshaped, but it loses structural integrity and requires skill to fold properly
Solution Approach 1:
The bill is constructed as an assembly of rigid or semi-rigid segments connected by flexible joints. This segmentation allows the bill to be reshaped by moving the joints while each segment maintains its structural integrity, avoiding the need for the entire bill to be uniformly flexible and prone to deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bill uses composite construction combining rigid materials for the bill body with flexible materials for the joints or connecting elements. This composite approach allows the bill to be reshaped through the flexible connections while the rigid segments maintain structural integrity, eliminating the need for skillful folding and preventing unwanted deformation.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable hat bill having a first link and a second link. The first link has a first link male member and defines a first link female receiving area. The second link defines a second link female receiving area. The first link male member is located within the second link female area, and the first link and the second link are capable of some rotation in relation to each other to selectively adjust the shape of the hat bill.