Electrical Connection Box Lock Arm Projection Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connection boxes with a separate electronic control unit and body experience relative shaking movements after attachment, complicating maintenance and increasing component count when fixed with screws.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connection box design featuring a lock arm and lock receiving portion with projections to securely engage and position the mounting member relative to the body without screws, utilizing a hinge for easy attachment and preventing shaking movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a clearance is formed between the electronic control unit and the body for ease of mounting and design, then the operation efficiency for mounting is improved, but a relative shaking movement develops between the electronic control unit and the body after attachment
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer member is introduced as an intermediary component between the electronic control unit and the body. This buffer member absorbs the clearance while providing stable positioning, preventing relative shaking movement without compromising mounting ease. The buffer member acts as a mediator that transforms the harmful clearance into a controlled, stable connection.
2Stability of the object's composition
If screws are used to fix the electronic control unit and body together to prevent shaking movement, then the stability is improved, but the number of component parts increases and the mounting operation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer member integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides stable positioning, prevents shaking movements, and eliminates the need for separate fastening elements like screws. By merging the positioning and fixation functions into one element, the device complexity is reduced while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer member is designed to automatically perform the fixation function without requiring additional fastening operations. The elastic deformation of the buffer member creates self-retaining engagement that prevents shaking movements inherently, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for extra components.
3Productivity
If the electronic control unit is fixedly attached to the body by fixing means such as a lock or hinge, then the attachment efficiency is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential fixation function from complex locking mechanisms and hinges, isolating only the necessary elements. The buffer member provides fixation through simple elastic deformation rather than complex mechanical interlocking, reducing structural complexity while maintaining attachment efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrical connection box includes a body, a mounting member attached to the body, a lock arm which is provided at one of the body and the mounting member, and a lock receiving portion which is provided at the other of the body and the mounting member. The lock arm includes an arm portion and a first engaging portion. The lock receiving portion includes a receiving portion which has an inserting portion and a second engaging portion. The receiving portion includes a projection which projects from the surface of the receiving portion farther than the second engaging portion from the inserting portion so as to abut on the arm portion to locate the lock arm in a predetermined position. When the first engaging portion engages with the second engaging portion, a clearance is formed between the receiving portion and the arm portion.