Electrical Connection Box Hinge Guide Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical connection boxes face inefficiencies in assembly due to the lack of positioning guides, leading to difficulties in accurately aligning board cases, potential connector damage, and increased risk of defective assemblies.

Innovation Solution

An electrical connection box design featuring a body with a mounting surface and a mounting member with a shaft portion that includes a bearing portion with a receiving portion and a limiting portion, allowing for easy alignment and secure attachment through a hinge mechanism, preventing disengagement and connector interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If no guide means is provided for positioning board cases, then the structure remains simple, but it becomes very difficult to properly position board cases when combining them together, requiring careful operation and reducing assembly efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly efficiencyVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A guide means comprising a guide groove and guide projection is introduced as an intermediary element between the board cases. The guide groove is formed in one board case and the guide projection in the other, allowing the board cases to be properly positioned during assembly without requiring careful manual operation, thus improving assembly efficiency while adding minimal structural complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide means is preliminarily formed in the board cases during manufacturing. The guide groove and guide projection are pre-configured to automatically guide the positioning of board cases when they are brought together, eliminating the need for complex positioning operations during assembly

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If board cases are combined without proper positioning, then assembly operation is simpler, but connectors strike against each other causing deformation or damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnector integrityVSAvoidassembly ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide means acts as an intermediary that automatically positions the board cases correctly as they are brought together. The guide groove and guide projection work together to prevent misalignment, ensuring connectors do not strike against each other during assembly, thus protecting connector integrity while maintaining ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide means provides preliminary anti-action by preventing incorrect positioning before connectors can make harmful contact. The guide groove and guide projection are designed to automatically correct or prevent misalignment, countering potential positioning errors before they can cause connector damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Ease of operation

If the insertion port is narrow without guide means, then the structure remains compact, but the insertion of the cover-side hook becomes difficult, reducing operation efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehook insertion easeVSAvoidinsertion port structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide means with guide groove and guide projection serves as an intermediary that facilitates the insertion of the cover-side hook through the narrow insertion port. The guide structures automatically align the hook with the insertion port, making insertion easy despite the port's narrow dimensions, without requiring additional structural complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide groove and guide projection are preliminarily formed to automatically guide the cover-side hook during insertion. This preliminary guidance structure ensures smooth insertion through the narrow port without requiring the port itself to be enlarged or complicated

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP1944836B1Electrical connection box and assembling method of electrical connection box
Publication Date: 2014.04.23 YAZAKI CORP
  • EP1944836B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1944836B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1944836B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electrical connection box includes a body which includes a mounting surface and a mounting member, including a shaft portion, attached to the body. The body includes a bearing portion which receives the shaft portion rotatably. The bearing portion has a receiving portion which receives the shaft portion, a limiting portion provided at a position separate from the mounting surface for a predetermined distance, and an insertion port, having a length of the predetermined distance defined by the mounting surface and the limiting portion, through which the shaft portion is inserted into the receiving portion. The limiting portion limits a movement of the shaft portion in a direction parallel to the mounting surface based on an inclining condition of the mounting member.