Vertical Flag Display Apparatus with Channel-Based Spar Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flag display devices either damage the flag with repeated use or fail to maintain the flag's visibility in high winds, as they either wear out the flag material or cause the flag to be lost due to rotation with the support pole.
Innovation Solution
A vertical flag display apparatus comprising a support bar, flag spar, locking end caps, securing clips, and an attachment bracket, which secures the flag without puncturing it and keeps it upright, allowing the flag to flutter freely while preventing loss in high winds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a support pole pushes against the flag to secure it without puncturing, then the flag is not damaged by nails or tacks, but the pole wears on the flag material causing wear spots that eventually become holes
Solution Approach 1:
A channel is provided through the flag material that guides and constrains the support pole. The channel acts as an intermediary structure that distributes the contact pressure along the length of the channel rather than at a single point, preventing both puncture damage and concentrated wear spots on the flag material.
Solution Approach 2:
The channel is pre-formed in the flag material before the support pole is inserted. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that when the pole is inserted, it follows the predetermined path and distributes forces evenly, preventing immediate damage and long-term wear accumulation at specific points.
2Ease of operation
If the flag is allowed to hang freely from the spar, then it can flutter naturally, but in heavy winds the dowel, flag and sleeve can rotate relative to the support pole causing the device to separate and the flag to be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism is divided into multiple independent clips positioned at different locations along the flag-spar interface. Each clip provides individual constraint, and together they create multiple attachment points that prevent rotation while allowing natural fluttering. The segmentation of the constraint system distributes the stabilizing function across multiple elements.
3Device complexity
If the flag corners are not secured on the ends of the dowel, then the attachment is simple, but in high winds the loose corners can be pushed towards the support pole causing the flag to bunch-up and making it difficult to see the entire field
Solution Approach 1:
Corner securing elements are pre-positioned at the ends of the dowel within the channel structure. These elements are prepared in advance to engage with the flag corners, preventing them from being pushed toward the support pole during high winds. The preliminary placement of these securing features maintains flag visibility without adding complex attachment procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A vertical flag display apparatus comprises a support bar, a flag spar, a flag pole, and locking end caps. The flag spar can be a rod, bar, or other tubular pole. The flag spar threads through a flag sleeve so that the flag hangs down from the spar when the spar is held parallel to the ground. The locking end caps attach to an end of the spar and ensure that the flag can not slide off of the spar. The end caps attach to each end of the support bar securing the spar to the support bar. The flag pole attaches to the support bar and extends downwards and perpendicular to the support bar. The flag pole is attached to the side of a building, etc. so as to hold the flag pole generally 45 degrees out from the side of the building and in an upwards orientation.