Exterior Cover Locking Structure to Prevent Main-Body Disconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional attachment structures of exterior covers are prone to disconnection from the apparatus main body.
Innovation Solution
The exterior cover is designed with lateral side protrusion portions and up/down top protrusion portions that are inserted into corresponding through holes in the side and top frames of the apparatus main body, ensuring secure locking and preventing disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the exterior cover uses a simple side protrusion and side recess locking structure, then the attachment process is easy, but the exterior cover may be disconnected from the apparatus main body
Solution Approach 1:
The locking structure is segmented into multiple independent locking points: side protrusions locking to side recesses, top protrusions locking to top recesses, and front protrusions locking to front recesses. This segmentation distributes the locking function across multiple locations, preventing disconnection while maintaining ease of attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are designed to be inserted into and locked within recesses, creating a nested locking mechanism where the exterior cover's protrusions fit into the apparatus main body's recesses, providing secure multi-directional attachment
2Reliability
If the exterior cover uses multiple protrusions and recesses in multiple directions, then the connection stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion and recess structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides attachment, positioning, and locking functions in side, top, and front directions. This multi-functionality achieves high connection stability without requiring separate complex mechanisms for each function
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple locking functions in different directions (side, top, front) are merged into a single integrated exterior cover structure, where all protrusions and recesses work together as one unified attachment system, simplifying the overall device complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
In each of side portions of an apparatus main body which are opposite each other, one of a side wall and a side frame which are opposite each other includes a side protrusion portion which protrudes laterally. The other of the side wall and the side frame which are opposite each other includes a side through hole which penetrates laterally and into which the side protrusion portion is inserted. One of a top wall and a top frame includes a top protrusion portion which protrudes in an up/down direction. The other of the top wall and the top frame includes a top through hole which penetrates in the up/down direction and into which the top protrusion portion is inserted. The top protrusion portion is locked to the periphery of the top through hole.