Serpentine Post Sign Holder with Asymmetric Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wire frame sign holders often struggle with stability, especially in windy conditions and frozen ground, and lack sufficient resistance to inward bending, which compromises the integrity and visibility of yard signs.
Innovation Solution
A sign holder design featuring a pair of upright posts with a serpentine area and a transverse member that connects them, allowing the upper ends to be spaced farther apart than the lower ends, providing increased stability and resistance to bending, and made from sturdy materials like stainless steel or galvanized steel to facilitate easy installation and maintain sign integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wire frame sign holders are used, then installation is simple, but stability in windy conditions and frozen ground is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by designing the lower post with a serpentine (S-shaped) configuration instead of a straight line. This curved geometry provides mechanical advantage by distributing ground forces more effectively and increasing resistance to lateral wind loads, thereby improving stability without adding complex components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by spacing the upper ends of the posts farther apart than the lower ends. This asymmetric configuration creates a wider base of support at the top where the sign is mounted, improving stability against overturning moments from wind while maintaining a narrower profile at the ground level for easier installation
2Strength
If conventional wire frame sign holders are used, then material usage is minimal, but resistance to inward bending is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The serpentine curvature in the lower post acts as a structural reinforcement that increases bending resistance. The S-shaped configuration creates multiple bend radii that distribute stress more evenly through the wire frame, preventing inward buckling under wind load without requiring additional material or thicker wire
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite construction by combining wire framing with infill materials such as mesh, fabric, or rigid panels. This composite structure distributes wind loads across multiple materials with different mechanical properties, enhancing overall bending resistance while maintaining material efficiency
3Reliability
If the upper ends of posts are spaced farther apart than lower ends, then stability and wind resistance are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric spacing configuration (wider at top, narrower at bottom) is achieved through the serpentine post design, which naturally creates the required geometry. This single design feature simultaneously provides both the stability advantage of wider upper spacing and the installation advantage of narrower lower spacing, without requiring additional components or complex assembly procedures
Data Source
AI summary
A sign holder includes a pair of upright posts, each having a lower ground engaging end and an upwardly disposed portion having a serpentine area with a plurality of bend areas leading to an upper end which is not aligned with the lower end. A relatively thicker transverse member joins the upright posts such that the upper ends thereof are spaced farther apart than the lower ends thereof.