Christmas Tree Stand with Built-In Tarp for Clean Tree Disposal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Christmas tree stands do not effectively address the issue of needle shedding during tree dismantling and disposal, and they often spill water when used for hydration.
Innovation Solution
A Christmas tree stand with a built-in disposable tarp made of recycled plastic that rolls up the tree for easy disposal, adjustable to various trunk diameters and shapes, featuring a rotating wheel with spurs, a cylinder with baffles, and a locking foot pedal that prevents water spillage during hydration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional Christmas tree stand is used, then the tree can be displayed during the holiday season, but needle shedding during dismantling and disposal becomes a troublesome problem
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing a disposable tarp that is pre-positioned within the tree stand housing before the tree is dismantled. The tarp is stored in a rolled-up state inside the housing and automatically deploys when needed, catching falling needles before they can scatter on the floor. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for separate cleanup actions after needle shedding occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable tarp serves as an intermediary element between the tree and the floor. Instead of allowing needles to fall directly onto the floor where they create mess, the tarp is positioned as an intermediate surface that intercepts and contains the falling needles. The tarp acts as a mediator that transfers the harmful effect (needle shedding) from the floor to a contained, disposable surface that can be easily removed and discarded.
2Reliability
If water is poured into the tree stand to hydrate the tree, then the tree remains fresh longer, but water spills onto the surrounding area
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable tarp functions as a flexible thin film that lines the interior of the tree stand housing. When water is poured into the stand to hydrate the tree, the tarp creates a waterproof barrier that prevents water from spilling onto the surrounding floor area. The flexible nature of the tarp allows it to conform to the housing interior while providing effective fluid containment, thus maintaining tree freshness without creating water spillage problems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tree stand is designed to accommodate various trunk diameters, then versatility is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tree stand employs dynamic elements including a rotatable cylinder with movable restraints and an expandable cable system that can automatically adjust to different trunk diameters. The cable tensioning system with turnbuckles allows the restraints to be positioned at various distances from the center, enabling the stand to accommodate trunks of varying sizes. This dynamic adjustment mechanism provides versatility without requiring multiple fixed-size components, thus managing structural complexity while achieving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A Christmas tree stand, with a watering spout, comprising: a tree stand apparatus with a build-in tarp that is unrolled from the stand when the tree is to be discarded. The stand comprises: a hollow frusto-conical-like shaped housing covered with a hinged collar that is used to pivot the tree to the floor. The housing further comprises: a rotating wheel with spurs in the base; and a rotating cylinder with baffles connected on the cylinder's top edge. A cable lays on the top of the baffles and against the outer sidewall of the rotating cylinder. The cable also runs between three evenly spaced sets of restraints with screws aligned perpendicularly into the tree trunk. When a tree trunk is placed in the rotating cylinder, atop the wheel, and rotated clockwise, then cable pulls the screws against the trunk, and the tree is then locked into place with a foot pedal.