Tile Holder With Beveled Channels For Reusable Labeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing label technologies, such as handwritten and typed labels, face issues with legibility, reusability, and durability, often hindering the use of labeled items and being difficult to read or reuse.
Innovation Solution
A tile holder designed to securely hold and display rigid tiles, constructed from materials like wood, metal, or flexible plastics, with channels and lips to maintain tile visibility and allow for easy insertion and removal, suitable for attachment to various storage devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If handwritten labels are used, then they can be created without specialized equipment, but they are hard to read and may fade or smudge over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dry-erase tiles that can be easily replaced when faded or smudged, rather than attempting to make permanent handwritten labels. The tiles are inexpensive and can be discarded and replaced without special equipment or processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of the labeling surface from permanent (traditional labels) to reusable (dry-erase tiles). The tiles can be written on and erased multiple times, changing the permanence parameter from fixed to reversible.
2Reliability
If permanent ink is used for handwritten labels, then they are durable, but they cannot be reused to label different contents
Solution Approach 1:
The dry-erase tiles enable periodic updating of labels. Instead of permanent static labels, the system allows for repeated cycles of writing and erasing, enabling the same physical tile to serve multiple labeling purposes over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the permanence parameter from fixed (permanent ink) to reversible (dry-erase). This allows the same physical object to be reused for different labeling purposes by simply erasing and rewriting.
3Reliability
If typed or printed labels are used, then they are clearly legible and permanent, but they cannot be reused to label different contents
Solution Approach 1:
The dry-erase tiles replace permanent printed labels with reusable surfaces that can be written on and erased repeatedly. This enables periodic updates of labeling information without replacing the physical label substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating new physical labels for each labeling task, the system uses a single reusable tile that can be rewritten. This is a form of copying the labeling function across multiple uses of the same physical object.
4Loss of information
If traditional labels are used, then they provide identification, but they may hinder the use of the labelled items
Solution Approach 1:
The labeling system is segmented from the storage device itself. Instead of labels that are permanently attached or integrated into the storage system, the dry-erase tiles are separate, removable components that can be placed on surfaces without interfering with the underlying storage functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The dry-erase tiles act as an intermediary between the storage device and the labeling information. They provide a surface for writing that doesn't permanently alter or interfere with the storage device, allowing labels to be applied and removed without hindering item usage.
Data Source
AI summary
A tile holder that can be attached to or integrated with a storage device. The tile holder may hold, for example, alphabet tiles. The tile holder may be used in settings where labelling is required. The tile holder may be constructed from a rigid material, such as wood, metal or a semi-flexible or flexible material, such as rubber or plastic. The tile holder may be a face plate that optionally couples to a space block. The tile holder may comprise an internal channel having at least one modified or beveled edge or surface.