Articulated Coupling Device for Tool-Free Card Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation and removal of electronic cards connected to a rack via pin and female contacts are meticulous and tedious, risking damage to electrical contacts and requiring tools.
Innovation Solution
A connection device with articulated coupling members and a control mechanism, including a lever and rod, allows for easy and quick installation and removal without tools, using hooks that move into recesses in the rack bottom to secure the connection device, distributing forces and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional manual installation method is used, then electronic card can be connected to rack, but installation is meticulous and tedious requiring tool and risking damage to electrical contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling members are designed to move dynamically between a first position (for insertion) and a second position (for locking). During installation, the coupling members are in the first position allowing hooks to engage with recesses in the rack. Upon actuation, they move to the second position where they lock against the rack bottom, automatically securing the card without tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection device performs self-locking through the control mechanism that automatically moves the coupling members from the first to the second position when the card is inserted. The hooks engage with recesses and the coupling members lock against the rack bottom automatically, eliminating the need for external tools or complex manual operations.
2Ease of operation
If traditional manual installation method is used, then electronic card can be connected to rack, but installation is meticulous and tedious requiring tool
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device is segmented into distinct functional components: coupling members with hooks for engagement, a control mechanism for actuation, and locking features. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall operation while maintaining secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling members act as intermediaries between the card and the rack. They provide the hooks that engage with recesses in the rack and the locking surfaces that contact the rack bottom, mediating the connection process and enabling automatic locking without direct manual intervention.
3Reliability
If traditional manual installation method is used, then electronic card can be connected to rack, but risk of damaging electrical contacts exists
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling members are preliminarily positioned in the first position with hooks ready to engage with recesses in the rack before the card is fully inserted. This preliminary positioning ensures that the card is guided correctly into place, preventing misalignment that could damage electrical contacts during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates recesses in the rack and corresponding hooks on the coupling members that engage before full insertion. This engagement mechanism cushions and guides the card into place, preventing excessive force or misalignment that could damage the electrical contacts.
4Ease of operation
If traditional removal method is used, then electronic card can be removed from rack, but removal is meticulous and tedious requiring tool and risking damage to electrical contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling members dynamically transition between the locked second position and the released first position. During removal, actuation moves the coupling members back to the first position, disengaging the hooks from recesses and releasing the lock against the rack bottom, allowing quick and tool-free removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The removal process inverts the installation sequence: instead of moving from engagement to locking, removal moves from locked position back to engagement position, automatically disengaging the hooks and releasing the lock, enabling easy extraction without tools or complex maneuvers.
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
Enables easy and quick installation and removal of electronic cards without risking damage to electrical contacts, eliminating the need for tools and ensuring secure locking during operation.
Implementation Method 1
a coupling member (6) consisting of a metal blade bent so as to form a longitudinal portion (7), a hook (8) at one end of the longitudinal portion (7) and one end (9) wound on the opposite side, said longitudinal portion (7) having an elastically deformable portion
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The device (1) has two coupling units (6), each unit has a hook (8) and is mobile relative to a support between a coupling position and a coupled position, where the support is formed by a casing (3) in which a card is placed. The hook is placed near the support in the coupled position than in the coupling position. A control mechanism (11) displaces the coupling units from the coupling positions to the coupled positions. Each coupling unit has an elastically deformable portion elongated between the hook and the mechanism. The portion and the hook are realized by a folded metallic strip.