Electrical Box Assembly with Segmented Base and Plastic Corner Pillars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical equipment enclosures, particularly those in kit form, face challenges with rigidity, weight, and complex assembly processes, which complicate hanging and installation, especially when requiring multiple operators and numerous industrial references for sealing and dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The design optimizes the electrical box components for weight and shape, incorporating integrated suspension means and assisted fittings for easier assembly, using a welded rectangular bottom part with crosspieces and uprights for increased rigidity, and symmetrical plastic corner pillars with metal reinforcements for easy screwing and electrical continuity, allowing for simplified hanging and installation with reduced industrial references.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the bottom wall is made thick to ensure rigidity during assembly, then the structural stability is improved, but the weight of the box increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom wall is segmented by adding perpendicular crosspieces that divide it into sections. This segmentation provides structural rigidity comparable to a thick bottom wall while using thinner materials, thereby reducing overall weight. The crosspieces create a framework that distributes loads effectively without requiring excessive material thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction combining the bottom wall material with crosspieces made of potentially different materials optimized for their specific functions. This allows achieving the required rigidity through material combination rather than simply increasing the thickness of a single material, optimizing the weight-strength ratio.
2Ease of manufacture
If the box assembly uses traditional drilling and blind fitting methods, then the assembly process is simple, but the complexity of leveling and installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crosspieces are pre-assembled and welded to the bottom wall in the factory, creating a rigid framework before the box is shipped. This preliminary action ensures proper geometry and rigidity are established beforehand, eliminating the need for complex leveling operations during installation and reducing on-site assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The crosspieces act as intermediary elements between the bottom wall and the side panels. They provide standardized attachment points and geometric references that simplify the connection process, serving as mediators that translate complex structural requirements into simple assembly operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If the box uses a simple rectangular design, then the manufacturing is easy, but the rigidity during assembly stages is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The simple rectangular bottom wall is segmented by adding perpendicular crosspieces. This maintains the overall rectangular simplicity for easy manufacturing while the crosspieces create internal structural divisions that dramatically increase rigidity during assembly stages without complicating the external form.
4Strength
If the box assembly requires multiple operators due to weight, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the assembly time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The box is divided into modular components (bottom wall with crosspieces, side panels, corner pillars) that can be assembled in a logical sequence. This segmentation allows lighter individual components to be handled by fewer operators while maintaining overall structural integrity through proper assembly methodology rather than requiring multiple operators to handle heavy monolithic structures.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The assembly has a rectangular base wall (10) forming a surface of a parallelepiped rectangular envelope of an electric box. The wall has four corners (18) receiving stops defined by a flange and the wall, and providing access to open ends of hollow profiles of crosspieces (14) and posts (12). Four corner pillars are fitted in the corners, where each pillar has a base and outer faces that are orthogonal between them and to the base. The base has fixation units i.e. screwing orifices, co-operating with fixation orifices (13, 15) of the profiles of the corners in the fitted position. The base wall is made of metallic sheet, and the pillars are made of plastic material.