Collapsible Electrical Device Cover with Sliding Hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical device covers lack versatility in orientation and ease of installation, as they are typically designed for either horizontal or vertical mounting, limiting their adaptability and requiring separate covers for different orientations.
Innovation Solution
An electrical device cover with a base having perpendicular walls and rails that allow a detachable hinge component to slide and pivot, enabling the lid to transition between expanded and collapsed positions, accommodating both horizontal and vertical orientations, and featuring a latching mechanism for secure closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional electrical device covers are designed for fixed horizontal or vertical mounting, then installation is simple, but versatility in orientation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into separate functional components: a base, a lid, and a detachable hinge component. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and enables the hinge to provide rotational movement between horizontal and vertical orientations, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge component is designed to be detachable and slidable along rails, allowing the cover to dynamically change orientation from horizontal to vertical and back. This dynamic capability enables a single cover design to adapt to multiple mounting orientations without increasing overall structural complexity.
2Ease of operation
If conventional electrical device covers require separate designs for different orientations, then each orientation is optimized, but device complexity and installation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cover design incorporates universal features through the detachable hinge component that can be positioned in different locations and orientations. A single cover design serves multiple functions by accommodating both horizontal and vertical mounting orientations, eliminating the need for separate cover designs and simplifying installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable hinge component acts as an intermediary element between the base and lid, enabling easy reconfiguration between orientations. The hinge's ability to detach and slide along rails provides a simple mechanism for changing orientation without requiring complex redesign or multiple components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hinge component is made detachable and slidable, then orientation flexibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge component is designed with a base that nests within or along the rails of the base structure. This nesting arrangement allows the hinge to slide smoothly and detach easily without adding significant complexity, as the hinge utilizes the existing rail structure for guidance and support.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical device cover includes a base with a wall structure having at least two pairs of opposing walls located perpendicular to each other and an opening in a back side large enough to receive an electrical device. An exterior surface of at least a first wall has at least one rail running perpendicular to a plane in which the back side of the base resides and the base of a detachable hinge component is slidably coupled to the at least one rail. The detachable hinge component has at least one hinge member that is parallel to the base of the hinge component and a lid with at least one hinge tab in which the at least one hinge member seats such that the lid is pivotally coupled to the hinge component.