Pencil Sharpener Holder Attachment for Apparel

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pencil sharpeners are either handheld and prone to being misplaced or desk-mounted, requiring users to locate them, which can be inconvenient and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A pencil sharpener holder attachment that securely attaches to an item of apparel or accessory, allowing the pencil sharpener to be worn and easily accessed, featuring a planar main support plate with interfitting structures to form a compartment for storing the sharpener and aligning the pencil insertion orifice with an aperture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the pencil sharpener is made handheld for easy access, then accessibility is improved, but it becomes vulnerable to being misplaced or lost

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidretention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the pencil sharpener with a holder attachment that can be secured to a surface, creating a unified device that provides both easy access and secure retention. The holder includes mounting features that attach to desks or other surfaces, while the sharpener remains accessible to the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The holder attachment serves multiple functions: it secures the sharpener to prevent loss, provides easy access for the user, and includes additional features such as a compartment for storing pencil shavings and a plug to seal the compartment. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by adding retention and storage capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If the pencil sharpener is desk-mounted for secure retention, then reliability is improved, but users must locate it which reduces accessibility

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveretentionVSAvoidaccessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The holder attachment is pre-configured with mounting features and storage compartments before the sharpener is inserted. The compartment for pencil shavings is prepared in advance, and the mounting structure is ready for attachment to the desk, enabling immediate use upon assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device is segmented into distinct functional components: the holder attachment for mounting and retention, the sharpener for the primary function, and a separate compartment for storing pencil shavings. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together as a unified system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If the pencil sharpener is exposed for easy access, then accessibility is improved, but it becomes vulnerable to damage

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoiddamage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sharpener is nested within the holder attachment, which provides protection while allowing access. The holder acts as a protective container that shields the sharpener from damage during transport and storage, while the design includes an opening or access point that allows the user to easily reach and use the sharpener.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The holder attachment includes a protective enclosure that can be made from durable materials, providing a protective shell around the sharpener. This shell protects the sharpener from physical damage while maintaining user access through strategically placed openings or removable covers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS10016049B1Pencil sharpener holder attachment

Publication Date: 2018.07.10 FRANCILLON ALEX

AI summary

A pencil sharpener holder attachment includes a plate having opposite front and rear sides and a continuous peripheral edge portion thereabout for attaching to an item worn by a user, a pencil sharpener holder body having front and rear housing portions at respective front and rear sides of the plate defining front and rear chambers open at rear and front sides of front and rear housing portions in communication with a central opening through the plate, and complementary interfitting structures interengaged with one another so as to attach the front and rear housing portions on respective front and rear sides of the plate such that the front and rear chambers form an elongated compartment storing a pencil sharpener extending through the central opening into both the front and rear chambers such that a pencil insertion orifice in the pencil sharpener aligns with an aperture in the front housing portion.