Spring Wire Frame Hanger for Leveling and Tilt Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for hanging frames or objects on walls using a wire system struggle with accurately locating and preventing side-to-side tilting, especially with heavier objects.
Innovation Solution
A flexible spring member with a center mounting portion and spring strap that extends outwardly from the wall, allowing the wire to be carried along the arms, which flex downwardly to hold the object level and reduce tilting, with wire engaging elements and longitudinal adjustment capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wire is hung over a nail or fastener, then the object can be suspended on the wall, but the object cannot be easily adjusted side to side and is difficult to locate in the required position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic mounting system where the spring strap can flex and the wire can slide along the arms, allowing the object to be adjusted side-to-side and forward-backward. The spring arms are designed to be flexible under the object's weight, enabling continuous adjustment until the desired position and level are achieved, transforming a static nail-based system into a dynamic, adjustable mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring strap acts as an intermediary element between the wall-mounted plate and the wire. Instead of directly hanging the wire over a nail, the wire is supported by the spring strap's arms, which provide both support and adjustment capability. This intermediary mechanism enables easy positioning while maintaining structural support.
2Strength
If two wall fasteners are used for heavy objects, then the object can be supported, but locating and preventing side to side tilting remains difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spring strap mechanism is self-adjusting and self-leveling. When the object is hung, the spring arms automatically flex to accommodate the weight and adjust to the correct position. The wire can slide along the arms to find the equilibrium position, and the spring's elasticity provides a natural centering force that prevents side-to-side tilting, eliminating the need for precise pre-location of fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring strap changes its physical parameters (flexibility, curvature) in response to the object's weight. The arms flex downward under load, and the degree of flexing adjusts automatically to support the specific weight, providing both strength for heavy objects and precision in positioning through the elastic deformation of the spring material.
3Measurement precision
If the wire is fixed rigidly, then the object is stable, but the wire cannot be adjusted longitudinally and the object cannot be positioned accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a rigid, fixed wire arrangement to a dynamic configuration where the wire can slide along the spring arms. The spring arms themselves are dynamic, flexing under load. This dynamic design allows the wire to be adjusted to any position along the arms while maintaining stability through the spring's elastic restoring force, achieving both adjustability and stability.
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 solution effectively prevents side-to-side tilting of objects by flexing to accommodate weight and allowing for easy adjustment, providing stable and level hanging of frames and other objects, from lighter photographs to heavier mirrors.
Implementation Method 1
the arms of the spring strap being flexible under the weight of the object so flex downwardly from the mounting portion to the ends
Implementation Method 2
arranged to apply frictional contact to the wire to reduce side to side movement of the wire relative to the center mounting portion along the wall
Data Source
AI summary
A frame which has a wire extending across a rear of the frame is hung on a wall by an integral flexible spring member shaped to define a center mounting plate fastened to lie flat on the wall and a spring strap standing at right angles to the plate with a pair of arms each extending outwardly from the mounting plate along the wall to a respective side of the mounting plate. The arms receive and locate the wire extending along the arms and depending from ends of the arms to the sides of the frame. The arms can flex and the arms allow longitudinal movement of the wire along the arms to allow movement of the frame side to side relative to the mounting plate. A stiffening rod can be inserted onto the strap.