Electronics Box Chamfered Housing for Kink-Free Wall Box Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronics boxes face challenges when inserted into wall boxes due to the risk of cable bending or kinking, and high manufacturing costs associated with complex screw assembly and machining requirements.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a chamfered surface on the electronics box housing to facilitate angled insertion without cable bending, and a tab-and-slot mechanism for secure assembly with reduced screw usage, minimizing manufacturing complexity and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electronics box is inserted by angling a corner into the wall box opening to guide the cable through, then the cable can pass through the opening, but the cable may be bent or kinked during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The chamfer surface transforms the insertion approach from a corner-angled insertion (3D complex path) to a face-aligned insertion (2D simplified path). By providing a chamfered surface on the housing, the cable can pass through the wall box opening in a straighter path without sharp bends or kinks, resolving the contradiction between ease of cable passage and cable integrity.
2Ease of operation
If screws with low-profile heads are used and slanted openings are provided, then the screw heads sit flush with the wall surface avoiding interference, but the amount of machining required increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the screw and opening to achieve flush mounting (slanted openings with low-profile screws), the invention inverts the approach by providing a chamfered surface on the housing that accommodates standard screws with standard openings. This reverses the problem-solving direction, eliminating the need for complex slanted machining while maintaining screw head clearance.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard screws are used with standard openings, then assembly is simple, but the screw heads may rest against the surface and stick outward interfering with insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The chamfered surface provides a localized solution at the insertion corner of the housing, allowing standard screws to be used throughout while creating a specific region (the chamfered corner) that provides the necessary clearance for wall box insertion. This local modification maintains overall assembly simplicity while solving the insertion interference problem.
4Ease of operation
If the housing is inserted laterally into the wall box opening, then insertion is simple, but this is only possible when flexible wires connect and not when less flexible cables are connected
Solution Approach 1:
The chamfered surface design makes the housing universally compatible with different cable types (both flexible wires and rigid cables). By providing a chamfered corner that accommodates cable passage, the housing can be inserted in a standardized manner regardless of whether flexible wires or rigid cables are connected, achieving multi-functionality and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronics box for insertion into a wall box includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear surface, at least one side surface, and an intermediate surface disposed part way between the top surface and the bottom surface and extending inward from the at least one side surface. A chamfer surface is disposed between an edge of the bottom surface and an edge of the rear surface, and is disposed at a particular angle with the respect to the bottom surface and has a particular length. The particular angle and the particular length are selected such that the housing is able to be tilted and then inserted into the wall box with the chamfer surface clearing the wall box.