String Stopper Groove Structure for Stable Tension Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional string stoppers for tents and tarps slip easily and fail to maintain tension due to small contact areas and are prone to loosening from external contact, with potential string damage at the hole rims.
Innovation Solution
A string stopper design featuring a fixing hole and an adjacent guide hole with narrow V-shaped grooves, a seating recess, and a support groove, allowing for stable tension maintenance and easy adjustment through simple manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional bar-shaped stopper with simple holes is used, then the structure is simple and manufacturing cost is low, but the contact area between string and stopper is small causing the string to slip easily and tension cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating narrow grooves at specific locations (entrance and exit of guide hole) rather than uniform structure throughout. These localized grooves increase friction and contact area precisely where the string enters and exits the stopper, improving tension maintenance without requiring complex structure throughout the entire stopper body.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses curved grooves instead of straight lines to increase the contact path between the string and stopper. The narrow grooves follow a curved trajectory through the stopper body, extending the contact area and improving friction-based tension maintenance while keeping the overall stopper structure relatively simple.
2Reliability
If a conventional bar-shaped stopper with simple holes is used, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the string may be damaged easily at the rims of the holes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses string protection by creating localized narrow grooves at the entrance and exit points where the string contacts the stopper. These grooves distribute the contact stress along a curved path rather than concentrating it at sharp hole rims, protecting the string from damage without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
3Reliability
If a conventional bar-shaped stopper is used, then the volume is small, but the stopper slips easily and cannot maintain tension well
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses curved narrow grooves that extend through the stopper body, increasing the effective contact area and friction path length without significantly increasing the external dimensions of the stopper. This allows improved tension stability while maintaining a compact stopper volume suitable for tent and tarp applications.
4Reliability
If a conventional bar-shaped stopper with simple holes is used, then the ease of operation is good, but the tension gets loose easily even by simple contact with the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates localized narrow grooves at the entrance and exit of the guide hole where external contact is most likely to occur. These grooves provide enhanced friction and mechanical interlocking precisely at the vulnerable contact points, preventing loosening from external contact while maintaining ease of operation through the guide hole passage.
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 design ensures stable tension support and prevents loosening from external contact, while reducing volume and manufacturing costs, facilitating easy and secure string fixation.
Implementation Method 1
a first narrow groove and a second narrow groove which are respectively formed at the inside of the entrance and at the outside of the exit of the guide hole
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a string stopper. The string stopper includes a fixing hole formed at an end, and a guide hole formed at one side of the fixing hole, wherein a string is inserted into the fixing hole so that a fixed end of the string is fixed to the fixing hole, and a free end of the string is inserted into an entrance of the guide hole and is drawn out of an exit of the guide hole. The guide hole has a first narrow groove and a second narrow groove which are respectively formed at the inside of the entrance and at the outside of the exit of the guide hole.