Anti-drop structure for electric component cover in refrigeration cycle device
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fall prevention structure for electric component covers in refrigeration cycle apparatuses, which rely solely on screws for fixation, results in inefficient maintenance as operators must hold the cover to prevent it from falling during removal, impairing working efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A fall prevention structure featuring a catch with a backward-extending and upward-extending portion on the electric component cover that is inserted into a slot on the casing, ensuring the cover remains secured even when unscrewed, preventing it from falling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the electric component cover is fixed to the casing with only a screw, then the fixation structure is simple, but the cover falls when the screw is unscrewed, requiring manual holding and reducing working efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation function is segmented into two independent systems: the screw provides rotational fixation while the catch provides vertical retention. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with the other, enabling the cover to be securely removed without falling.
Solution Approach 2:
The catch acts as an intermediary element between the cover and casing that prevents direct falling. It mediates the transition state during maintenance when the screw is being unscrewed, providing continuous retention until the cover is fully removed.
2Reliability
If the electric component cover is held manually during removal, then the cover does not fall, but the operator's hands are occupied and working efficiency is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The catch structure provides self-service retention functionality. The cover's own catch mechanism automatically engages with the casing's insertion slot, eliminating the need for external manual support. The system serves itself by incorporating the retention function directly into the cover structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The catch is pre-configured in an engaged position with the insertion slot before maintenance begins. This preliminary engagement ensures retention is already in place, so no additional manual action is needed during the removal process to prevent falling.
3Productivity
If a catch structure is added to prevent falling, then the cover can be removed without manual holding, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The catch structure is implemented locally only where needed for retention, rather than redesigning the entire fixation system. The catch is a localized feature on the cover that engages with a corresponding slot, adding minimal complexity only to the specific area requiring enhanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the cover fully detachable and then preventing falling through external means, the invention inverts the approach by making the cover partially retained through an integrated catch mechanism that works in conjunction with the screw, combining detachment capability with inherent retention.
Data Source
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AI summary
A fall prevention structure of an electric component cover in a refrigeration cycle apparatus includes an electric component box housing an electric component of a refrigeration cycle apparatus. The electric component box includes a casing, a side of which is open, and an electric component cover configured to cover, in an upright position, an opening of the casing and to be screwed to the casing. The electric component cover includes a catch including a backward-extending portion and an upward-extending portion. The backward-extending portion extends backward from an upper end portion of the electric component cover. The upward-extending portion extends upward from an end portion of the backward-extending portion. In a state in which the electric component cover is screwed to the casing, the catch is inserted into an insertion slot disposed in a portion extending in an up-down direction of the casing. When the electric component cover is unscrewed from the casing, the electric component cover does not fall from the casing by the catch being caught by a portion above the insertion slot.