Modular Display Latch Assemblies for Rapid Cabinet Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transportable electronic sign display systems require high accuracy in cabinet alignment and are cumbersome to assemble, with complex designs and labor-intensive methods that increase setup and teardown time, and are not rugged enough for frequent use.
Innovation Solution
A transportable electronic sign display system with novel latch assemblies that allow for large tolerance in initial cabinet placement, using opposed male and female latch assemblies with rotatable inclined ramps and wave washers, enabling quick and secure connection of modular cabinets with minimal components and no special tools required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional fastening methods (bolts, screws, pins) are used to attach display cabinets, then connection strength is achieved, but assembly time increases and operation becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into separate male and female latch assemblies that can be independently positioned on each cabinet. This allows each latch to be optimized for its specific function and enables parallel assembly operations, reducing overall assembly time while maintaining connection strength through multiple distributed latch points.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch assemblies are pre-positioned and pre-aligned on the cabinets during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that when cabinets are brought together for assembly, the latches are already in the correct positions and orientations, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures and reducing assembly time significantly.
2Reliability
If traditional fastening methods with multiple moving parts are used, then connection security is achieved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Complex alignment and positioning mechanisms are extracted from the latch assemblies themselves and replaced with simple, fixed geometric features. The male and female latches have complementary shapes that provide inherent alignment, eliminating the need for complex moving parts, adjustment mechanisms, or specialized tooling while maintaining connection security.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch assemblies are designed to be self-aligning and self-latching. The geometric configuration of the male and female latches automatically guides them into proper alignment and secures the connection without requiring external alignment tools, complex adjustment mechanisms, or specialized operator skills.
3Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are required for latch alignment, then connection precision is achieved, but ease of manufacture decreases and assembly becomes difficult on uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The latch assemblies incorporate flexible or adjustable elements that allow for dynamic adaptation to slight variations in cabinet positioning and surface unevenness. This dynamic capability enables the latches to accommodate tolerance variations without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, simplifying both manufacturing and assembly processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows for parameter changes in the latch geometry and positioning to accommodate different tolerance ranges. By optimizing the geometric parameters of the male and female latch features, the system can achieve reliable connections with relaxed tolerance requirements, making assembly easier on uneven surfaces and simplifying manufacturing.
4Adaptability or versatility
If frequent transport and setup are performed, then system mobility is achieved, but part durability decreases due to breakdown from repeated assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The latch assemblies are designed with simplified geometric features that reduce stress concentration points and eliminate complex moving parts that are prone to wear. By changing the dimensional configuration of the latch features to be more robust and less complex, the system withstands repeated assembly and disassembly cycles better, extending part life span while maintaining mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch assemblies are designed as simple, robust components that can be easily replaced if needed, rather than complex, expensive mechanisms that require meticulous maintenance. This approach treats the latches as durable but replaceable components, ensuring system mobility while accepting that high-use latches may eventually wear and need replacement rather than requiring the entire system to be discarded.
Data Source
AI summary
A transportable electronic sign display system having modular cabinets which support electronic display modules and electronics having male and female latching assemblies connecting adjacent electronic display modules. Robust male and female latching assemblies at the top and bottom of electronic display modules provide for forcible positive action latching between vertically situated electronic display modules to provide a minimally visible horizontally oriented seam therebetween. Side latches between horizontally situated electronic display modules assemblies provide for latching to provide a minimally visible vertically oriented seam therebetween.