Snap-Fit Card Joint for Portable Sanitary Smartphone Stands
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a portable, easy-to-use, and sanitary smartphone stand that minimizes contact between the smartphone and potentially germ-infested surfaces, without the bulkiness and inconvenience of traditional stands.
Innovation Solution
A snap-fit joint system for monolithic card elements that can be interconnected to create various configurations for holding smartphones, including a configuration with contoured cutouts for secure vertical or horizontal positioning, allowing for easy deployment and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional smartphone stand is used, then the smartphone can be held off the support surface, but the stand is bulky and inconvenient to carry
Solution Approach 1:
The stand is divided into multiple card elements that can be interconnected through snap-fit joints, allowing the structure to be segmented into thin, portable components that assemble into a functional stand configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The card elements are designed to nest within each other when not in use, with each card containing snap-fit joints that allow compact storage in a pocket-sized form factor while maintaining full functionality when deployed
2Device complexity
If a portable card-based stand is used, then the stand is easy to carry, but the connection strength between components may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The snap-fit joints are pre-formed during manufacturing with optimized geometry and material properties, ensuring that the connection strength is sufficient before the product reaches the user, eliminating the need for field adjustments or reinforcements
Solution Approach 2:
The snap-fit joint design incorporates specific dimensional parameters and material selection that optimize the balance between portability and connection strength, with tab thickness, slot dimensions, and material modulus carefully selected to provide adequate holding force while maintaining thin card profiles
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple card elements are interconnected, then the stand can be configured in various positions, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each card element is designed with universal snap-fit joint features that can connect to any other card with complementary joints, allowing the same basic component design to serve multiple configuration purposes without requiring specialized parts for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The stand structure is segmented into standardized card elements with consistent snap-fit joint interfaces, enabling modular assembly into various configurations (vertical, horizontal, angled) using the same manufacturing processes and component libraries
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 snap-fit joint system provides a rigid, adjustable, and sanitary way to hold smartphones off potentially contaminated surfaces, offering ease of use, portability, and versatility in configuration.
Implementation Method 1
the male member being resiliently flexible for temporary deformation during insertion into the female member hole
Data Source
AI summary
A snap-fit joint for monolithic card elements comprises plastic male and female members. Each monolithic snap-fit joint flexible card body for connecting at least a first and second snap-fit joint card body members, includes one of a vertically downward orientated slot, a vertically upward orientated slot, having left and right walls on one or both distal ends of the card body with at least one male member tab within the slot and protruding from at least one wall, correspondingly spaced female member hole separate from the slot along the same vertical line within the card body, male member tab being sufficiently flexible during the interconnection process to slide into a female member hole and snap into place, becoming seated together with a second snap-fit joint card body, resulting in a plurality of apparatuses.