Slotted Holding Bracket With Fin Locking for Stable Attachment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing holding and support devices lack reliability and versatility in securely attaching and configuring various items for storage, as they often fail to provide stable attachment across different thicknesses and are prone to accidental removal.

Innovation Solution

A support device with elongated slot openings and a holding device featuring a unique attachment part with perpendicular and obliquely extending legs, along with a projection that snaps into adjacent openings, ensures secure attachment and prevents sideways swinging, allowing for versatile configuration across different support device thicknesses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a simple attachment part is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability of attachment is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidreliability of attachment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment part is divided into multiple functional elements: a stem for insertion, a fin for lateral constraint, and legs with a projection for securing. This segmentation allows each element to perform a specific function, improving overall reliability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The fin is integrated into the stem structure, and the projection is formed as part of the leg assembly. This nesting reduces the number of separate components, maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving reliable multi-point attachment through the combined functionality of the integrated elements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a fixed attachment configuration is used, then stability of the object is improved, but adaptability to different thicknesses is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestabilityVSAvoidadaptability to different thicknesses
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment part is designed with flexible geometry where the legs can bend and the projection can engage at different positions along the elongated slots. This dynamic design allows the same attachment part to adapt to various support device thicknesses while maintaining stable attachment through the constraining fin and securing projection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If an attachment part without lateral constraint is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability is worsened due to sideways swinging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidreliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fin acts as an intermediary element between the stem and the support device. It extends laterally into the support device to prevent sideways swinging, while the stem and legs provide the primary attachment function. This intermediary fin resolves the contradiction by adding lateral constraint without complicating the main attachment operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2861386B1Holding device with a stem part including a fin
Publication Date: 2019.01.16 ELFA INTERNATIONAL
  • EP2861386B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2861386B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2861386B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a combination of a support device (1, 33) and a holding device (7), the support device comprising an attachment sur¬ face having rows (5) with elongated slot openings (3, 3'), and the holding device comprising an attachment part (9) and a carrier part (11). The attachment part is intended to be attached to the support device by being partly inserted into a first slot (3), such that the holding device can take up a load directed in the plane of attachment surface, and the carrier part (11) being capable of supporting an item to be stored. A stem part (13) interconnects the attachment part and the carrier part and the stem part includes a fin (15) that fits into a second slot (3') which is located under said first slot (3). This provides a more reliable connection to the support device. A holding device suitable for this combination is also considered.