Fan Mounting on Top-Hat Rail Using Offset Holding Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan fastening systems face difficulties in installation and space constraints, particularly when the device has a large overall depth and limited installation space above the top-hat rail, requiring tilting or angling of the rear wall which reduces installation space and limits the fan's height.
Innovation Solution
A fan design with offset upper and lower holding devices that allow tilting about a perpendicular axis, eliminating the need for a beveled rear wall, combined with a one-dimensional pivoting element for adjusting airflow direction, enabling secure fastening and flexible mounting positions, including 90° offsets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the fan has a very large overall depth, then the ventilation performance is improved, but the installation space above the top-hat rail must be large to allow tilting upward for attachment
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of tilting the fan upward to attach it to the top-hat rail (conventional method), the patent inverts the attachment motion by tilting the fan downward. The holding devices are positioned and dimensioned such that the fan can be attached by tilting it down into place, eliminating the need for upward tilting and reducing the required installation space above the rail.
2Area of stationary object
If the device has a limited installation space above the top-hat rail, then the attachment is simplified, but the overall height of the device must be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the attachment motion from upward tilting to downward tilting. By positioning the holding devices such that the fan tilts downward during attachment, the rear wall does not need to be angled upward to accommodate limited installation space, thereby maintaining the full overall height of the device.
3Ease of operation
If the rear wall is designed at an angle to achieve the necessary tilting angle, then the attachment to top-hat rail is enabled, but the installation space within the device is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of angling the rear wall upward to facilitate upward tilting attachment, the patent inverts the approach by enabling downward tilting attachment with a straight rear wall. The holding devices are positioned and dimensioned to accommodate the downward tilting motion, eliminating the need for an angled rear wall and preserving maximum installation space within the device.
4Reliability
If additional locking mechanisms are added to secure the fan, then the reliability of fastening is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding devices incorporate spring elements that automatically engage with the top-hat rail when the fan is tilted downward into position. The spring-loaded design provides automatic locking without requiring additional manual locking mechanisms, buttons, or switches, thereby ensuring reliable fastening while maintaining simple device structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fan with a nozzle (27) which is mounted to a base plate (25), wherein the base plate (25) has on its rear wall (11) a mounting device (26) with at least one upper holding device (15) and at least one lower holding device (16) for mounting the fan (10) on a top-hat rail (1). The upper holding device (15) and the lower holding device (16) reach over an upper edge (2) or a lower edge (3) respectively of the top-hat rail (1) in the mounted state and are arranged offset from one another in a direction running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the top-hat rail (1) in the mounted state of the fan (10). The ends of the holding devices (15, 16) facing one another in this direction form inner ends (17, 18) and, between the inner end (17) of the upper holding device (15) and the inner end (18) of the lower holding device (16), there is a distance (d) of a width which is greater than the distance (b) between the upper edge (2) and the lower edge (3) of the top-hat rail (1), with the result that the fan (10) can be inserted into the top-hat rail (1) by tilting in an insertion tilting direction (k) about a tilt axis (Z) perpendicular to a longitudinal direction (X) of the top-hat rail.