Elastic Housing Base for Unauthorized Disassembly Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Housings for electrical devices, particularly emergency stop devices, lack protection against unauthorized disassembly and struggle to achieve a high degree of protection like IP65 due to accessible fastening elements and complex release mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A housing with a concentric, elastically deformable corrugated structure around the fastening element, where the fastening element is covered after attachment, and an integral unlocking mechanism that requires damage to access, ensuring unauthorized disassembly is detectable and the housing can only be opened irreversibly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fastening element is made accessible from the outside for easy assembly, then the ease of operation is improved, but the security against unauthorized disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing cover acts as an intermediary element between the user and the fastening element. It provides a controlled access path through the cover opening that allows the unlocking element to reach the fastening element while preventing direct external access. This mediator structure enables easy authorized assembly through the cover opening while maintaining security by requiring cover removal for any other access attempt.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is segmented into a housing base and a removable housing cover. This segmentation allows the fastening element to be positioned in a location that is not directly accessible from the outside, while still enabling easy assembly through the cover opening. The cover can be removed and reattached, providing a simple mechanism for authorized access while deterring unauthorized disassembly.
2Ease of operation
If the housing is designed with openings for release mechanisms, then the ease of operation is improved, but the degree of protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing cover opening provides a localized access path that is sufficient for the intended operation (pressing the unlocking element) but insufficient for unauthorized disassembly or environmental ingress. The opening is positioned and sized to allow finger access to the fastening element while maintaining overall housing integrity and protection class.
3Reliability
If the fastening element is covered after attachment, then the protection against unauthorized disassembly is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing cover is designed to be removed before the fastening operation is completed. This preliminary action of cover removal provides direct access to the fastening element during the assembly process, while the subsequent reattachment of the cover restores protection. The system anticipates the need for access during assembly but prevents access during operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides enhanced protection against unauthorized disassembly and facilitates easy assembly while ensuring the housing can be reliably detected if tampered with, and allows for simple and tool-free attachment to holding elements, suitable for safety-critical machines with increased protection levels.
Implementation Method 1
the connection section (4) is designed to be elastically deformable, in particular by providing a concentric, elastically deformable corrugated structure (40) around the fastening element (2)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a housing (1) for an electrical appliance, comprising: a housing base (10), which has a connecting portion (4) for connecting the housing (1) to a machine, a technical apparatus or a building wall, and at least one fastening element (2), which is provided on an outer face of the connecting portion (4), wherein the fastening element (2) is designed such that said fastening element can be interlockingly and/or frictionally connected to a corresponding retaining element of the machine, the technical apparatus or the building wall, and wherein: the housing (1) can be closed by means of a housing cover; the connecting portion (4) is designed to be resiliently deformable and has, on an inner face, an unlocking element (3) which can be actuated by a user, is operatively connected to the fastening element (2) and is designed such that the unlocking element can only be actuated from the inside when the housing (1) is open, in order to release the interlocking and/or frictional connection of the fastening element (2) to the retaining element of the machine, the technical apparatus, or the building wall.