Fan Shroud With Locking Slot And Hinge Slot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan shroud designs often lack easy access mechanisms and secure sealing solutions, making it difficult to maintain fan assemblies while protecting them from environmental factors like water and dust.
Innovation Solution
A shroud assembly with a support frame featuring locking and serpentine hinge slots, and a shroud with pins and tabs that securely attach to the frame, allowing for easy opening to a predetermined angle and automatic stopping, while providing a gasket for sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shroud is designed to be securely locked in place, then protection from environmental factors is improved, but ease of access for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is divided into a fixed support frame and a movable shroud portion that can be independently opened. The locking slot and locking tab mechanism allows the shroud to be segmented into secured and accessible portions, enabling maintenance access while maintaining overall sealing integrity through the gasket system.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud transitions from a static locked position to a dynamic open position through the hinge slot and locking tab mechanism. This dynamic design allows the shroud to move between closed (protected) and open (accessible) states, resolving the contradiction between security and ease of access.
2Ease of operation
If a shroud is designed with simple opening mechanisms, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of secure sealing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tab is pre-configured with a notch that aligns with the locking slot in the support frame. This preliminary alignment ensures that when the shroud is closed, the locking mechanism automatically engages without requiring complex manual intervention, maintaining both ease of operation and secure sealing reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a shroud allows easy access for maintenance, then ease of operation is improved, but protection from environmental factors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is applied locally at the interface between the shroud and support frame, providing sealing protection precisely where environmental factors would penetrate. This localized sealing approach maintains environmental protection while allowing the shroud to be opened for maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud system is segmented into a permanent sealed support frame structure and a removable shroud portion. The support frame maintains the sealing relationship with the enclosure, while the shroud portion can be independently opened for maintenance, preserving environmental protection during access operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A shroud assembly can include a support frame with a locking slot and a hinge slot, and a shroud with a first pin and a second pin. The locking slot can receive the first pin to secure the shroud in a closed configuration. The hinge slot can receive the second pin to support the shroud in the closed configuration, in an open configuration, and during hinging of the shroud between the closed and open configurations. A tab can engage a notch to support the shroud at a predetermined angle relative to the support frame when the shroud is in the open configuration.