Electric Hinge Open Slot Wiring Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric hinges require precise and time-consuming drilling of small wiring holes through the entire width of the hinge plate, making the drilling process inefficient and difficult, especially when dealing with multiple wires and twisted pairs.
Innovation Solution
The electric hinge design features open slots on the hinge plates with shorter wiring holes drilled from the slot terminus to the knuckle, allowing wires to pass through, and includes an elongated slot cover with a ferule for protection and easy installation, eliminating the need for drilling through the entire width of the hinge plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wiring holes are drilled through the entire width of the hinge plate, then electrical connection is achieved, but drilling time and manufacturing complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wiring path is segmented into two parts: an open slot on the surface of the hinge plate and a shorter hole drilled from the slot terminus to the knuckle. This segmentation reduces the drilling depth while maintaining electrical connectivity, as the wire passes through the shorter hole and is routed along the open slot.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiring approach transitions from a purely through-thickness drilling method to a hybrid approach that utilizes the surface dimension of the hinge plate. The open slot allows the wire to travel along the surface, reducing the requirement for a long through-hole and enabling easier wire insertion.
2Ease of operation
If small diameter wiring holes are drilled through the entire hinge plate thickness, then wire passage is enabled, but drilling precision and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wiring hole is segmented into a shorter drill portion from the slot terminus to the knuckle, reducing the length-to-diameter ratio. This makes the drilling process less prone to walking and deflection, improving manufacturing precision while maintaining wire passage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The open slot is formed on the hinge plate surface before drilling the wiring hole. This preliminary action provides a starting point (slot terminus) for the drill, ensuring accurate hole placement and reducing the need for high-precision through-drilling.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wiring holes extend at an angle to avoid mounting holes, then hole placement flexibility is achieved, but wire running difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire running path is extended onto the surface of the hinge plate through the open slot, providing additional space for wire routing. This surface dimension allows for easier wire manipulation and insertion, compensating for the angled orientation of the drilling hole.
Solution Approach 2:
The open slot acts as an intermediary element between the wire and the drilling hole. It provides a gradual transition zone that facilitates wire insertion and reduces the difficulty of running wires through the angled hole.
4Ease of manufacture
If the entire width of the hinge plate is drilled for wiring, then complete wire penetration is achieved, but manufacturing time and process cycles increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wiring structure is segmented into a surface slot and a shorter through-hole, reducing the total material removal volume and drilling time. The open slot can be formed by less time-consuming processes, and the shorter hole requires less drilling time, overall reducing manufacturing time while maintaining wire installation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for making an electric hinge comprising providing first and second hinge plates, each hinge plate having at least one knuckle and forming in each hinge plate an open slot extending from an edge distal from the knuckle and terminating at a mid-portion of the hinge plate to the knuckle. The open slot depth is less than the thickness of the hinge plate. The method includes drilling a hole from the terminus of each open slot to the knuckle of the hinge plate and passing a wire through the hole from the terminus of the open slot to the knuckle in the first hinge plate and from the knuckle of the second hinge plate to the corresponding terminus of the second hinge plate. The method includes mating the first and second hinge plates by inserting a hinge pin through the knuckle of each hinge plate to form the electric hinge.