Detachable Nose Faceplate for Multi-Orientation Cable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Installers face the inconvenience and additional cost of maintaining a diverse inventory of single-configuration faceplates to cover holes in walls while allowing wire or cable passage, as existing faceplates are not adaptable to different orientations or configurations.
Innovation Solution
A detachable nose faceplate system with a removable nose portion that can be oriented in multiple configurations, allowing the faceplate to attach to various surfaces and accommodate wires or cables through a passage, using fasteners, brackets, or other mechanisms, enabling flexible placement and passage routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If installers use single-configuration faceplates, then each faceplate can cover holes in a specific orientation, but installers must maintain diverse inventory of multiple faceplate configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The faceplate is divided into two separable components: a main body portion and a nose portion. The nose portion can be detached and reattached in different orientations, allowing a single faceplate to provide multiple configurations without requiring multiple separate faceplates in inventory.
Solution Approach 2:
The nose portion is made detachable and reconfigurable, transforming the static single-configuration faceplate into a dynamic multi-configuration faceplate. This allows the faceplate to adapt to different installation orientations while maintaining a single unit in inventory.
2Adaptability or versatility
If installers maintain diverse faceplate inventory, then proper faceplates are available for different orientations, but additional costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
A single faceplate design with a detachable nose portion serves multiple functions and orientations. The same faceplate body can accommodate the nose in different configurations, making one universal faceplate replace multiple orientation-specific faceplates, thereby simplifying inventory management and reducing costs.
3Ease of manufacture
If faceplates are molded into single configuration, then manufacturing is simplified, but installers cannot accommodate different wire passage orientations
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the faceplate into a molded body and a separate nose portion, the manufacturing complexity is minimized for each component while the assembled system achieves multi-configuration capability. The nose portion can be molded in one orientation and then mechanically reconfigured through detachment and reattachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable nose portion introduces dynamic reconfigurability to an otherwise static molded component. This allows the faceplate to transition between different wire passage orientations without requiring complex multi-directional molding, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving configuration flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Detachable nose faceplate. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems including: a faceplate that defines a front side, a back side and a nose aperture, the faceplate configured to removably attach to a surface; a nose portion that defines a top side, a bottom side, a nose edge and a lip that outlines a portion of the bottom side; and a passage defined between the faceplate and the nose edge. The nose portion is both: configured to couple to the faceplate in a first configuration in which the nose portion protrudes through the nose aperture in the direction of the front side of the faceplate and the lip abuts the back side of the faceplate; and configured to couple to the faceplate in a second configuration in which the nose portion protrudes in the direction of the back side of the faceplate and the lip abuts the back side of the faceplate.