Wallet-Sized Thermoplastic Stand Using Living Hinges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile phone stands are either too large and cumbersome, losing the mobility advantage of smartphones, or lack the compactness and portability needed for spontaneous use, and fail to facilitate viewing of content effectively.
Innovation Solution
An ultra-compact easel-like stand made of thermoplastic material that collapses into the shape of a credit card, allowing easy storage in a wallet, featuring a base plate and flex plates that provide registration and biasing, with living hinges for flexibility and stability, enabling hands-free photography and comfortable content viewing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a mobile phone stand is made large and stable, then it provides good support for hands-free use, but it loses the mobility and portability advantage of smartphones
Solution Approach 1:
The stand is divided into multiple segments or layers that can be folded relative to each other. The base plate and support plates are connected through foldable joints, allowing the structure to be compact when folded and extended when deployed, thus achieving both portability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stand structure allows the support plates to be nested within or alongside the base plate when folded, creating a compact credit card-sized form factor. When deployed, the nested structure expands to provide adequate support surface area for stable phone placement.
2Length of moving object
If a mobile phone stand is made compact for portability, then it can be easily stored in a wallet, but it may compromise the viewing angle adjustment capability
Solution Approach 1:
The stand incorporates flexible or movable joints that allow the support plates to be adjusted to different angles. The foldable structure enables dynamic reconfiguration from a compact stored state to various viewing angles during use, providing adaptability without compromising portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stand allows changes in geometric parameters such as the angle between base plate and support plates, and the distance between components. These parameter changes enable the transition between compact storage configuration and various viewing angle configurations.
3Length of stationary object
If a mobile phone stand is made thin for wallet storage, then it achieves ultra-portability, but it may reduce the structural strength needed to support the phone
Solution Approach 1:
The stand is constructed from materials such as rigid plastics, metals, or composite materials that provide high strength-to-weight ratio. These materials enable the stand to be thin and portable while maintaining sufficient structural strength to support the mobile phone.
Solution Approach 2:
The stand incorporates curved or arched structural elements rather than purely flat surfaces. The curved geometry provides structural reinforcement, distributing stresses more effectively and maintaining strength while minimizing material thickness.
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 stand provides a compact, portable solution for hands-free photography and content viewing, maintaining the spontaneity of smartphone use while supporting high-quality image capture and display, and can be easily deployed and stowed, enhancing user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
with living hinges for flexibility and stability
Data Source
AI summary
A stand for engaging support of a smart mobile telephone includes a base plate formed of planar thermoplastic polymer generally rectangular in shape having a midline axis and a first and second extreme edges in opposed relationship, parallel and spaced apart from the midline axis. A first and a second flex plate formed of the planar thermoplastic polymer and include an attachment region extending from an extreme edge and to a first root edge and is fused to base plate in a manner to bias the first flex plate toward the base plate. A generally rectangular limb extends beyond the root edge to a living hinge affixed to a generally rectangular first riser defining at least one first tab being configured to engage the registration slot when the first riser is rotated to an attitude perpendicular to the base plate.