U-Shaped Clasp Clip with Rotatable Tongue for Secure Washing Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clips for flexible materials, such as socks, are difficult to open and attach to objects and lack a strong enough grip to keep paired items together during washing, especially during the agitation phase of a machine-washing system.
Innovation Solution
A u-shaped clasp with a tab and rotatable tongue, featuring teeth and protrusions, connected by pivot rods, which securely holds items together with a hanger-and-clip system that includes a hook, eyelet, and collar, allowing for easy attachment and secure retention in a washing machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a clamp is designed to hold objects together during washing, then the grip strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is divided into distinct functional segments: a U-shaped body for gripping, a separate tongue with teeth for engagement, and a tab for operation. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the teeth provide strong gripping force while the tab provides leverage for easy opening and closing.
Solution Approach 2:
The tongue is designed to rotate between the two prongs of the U-shaped body, transitioning between open and closed positions. This dynamic mechanism allows the clamp to easily transition between holding and releasing states, with the rotational motion providing mechanical advantage for easy operation while maintaining strong grip when closed.
2Reliability
If a clamp provides strong grip during agitation, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The teeth are concentrated locally at the engagement point between the tongue and U-shaped body, providing strong gripping force exactly where needed during agitation. The rest of the clamp structure remains simple and minimal, avoiding unnecessary complexity while ensuring reliable retention during washing cycles.
3Strength
If teeth are added to increase grip strength, then the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The teeth on the tongue and U-shaped body are designed with asymmetric profiles that interlock in a specific direction. This asymmetric design provides strong gripping force while being tolerant of manufacturing variations, as the teeth engage in a way that naturally compensates for minor alignment deviations rather than requiring precise matching.
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 effectively keeps paired items together during washing, preventing loss and misplacement, and allows for easy identification and retrieval of sorted items post-wash, with a reward system providing incentives for usage.
Implementation Method 1
The tongue may be rotatably connected to the two prongs between the two prongs
Implementation Method 2
One or more of the tongue and the first side may include a set of teeth
Implementation Method 3
The tongue and the two prongs may be connected by one or more pivot rods that extend from the two prongs and into the tongue
Data Source
AI summary
A clipping apparatus is described herein. The clipping apparatus may include a u-shaped clasp and a tab. The clasp may include an open end and a closed end, a first side and a second side, and a tongue. The tab may be coupled to, and extend from, the closed end of the clasp. The first side may include a wall extending from the closed end to the open end. The second side may include two prongs extending from the closed end to the open end. The tongue may be rotatably connected to the two prongs between the two prongs. The tab may include a first opening and a second opening. The first opening may be disposed in the tab adjacent to the closed end of the clasp. The second opening may be disposed in the tab at a distal end to the tab from the clasp.