Removable Fixture Cover Assembly for Post-Concrete Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in installing fixtures, such as plumbing and electrical fixtures, into materials like concrete, where the covers become stuck and difficult to remove, hindering adjustability and accessibility after concrete setting.
Innovation Solution
A cover assembly with a movable component that can collapse, transform, deform, bow, bend, flex, shear, or fracture away from the material to facilitate easy removal, preserving adjustability of fixtures like drains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cover assembly is rigid and fixed to the fixture body, then structural strength is improved, but removal difficulty increases after concrete setting
Solution Approach 1:
The cover assembly is divided into two functional parts: a fixed cover portion attached to the fixture body that provides structural strength, and a removable ring portion that can be easily separated from the concrete. This segmentation allows the strong fixed portion to remain while the removable portion can be taken off for access.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring portion is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to deform and flex during removal from the concrete. The ring can elastically deform to navigate around the cured concrete and then return to its original shape, enabling easy removal while the fixed cover remains in place.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cover assembly is securely attached to the fixture body, then fixture stability is improved, but adjustability after concrete setting is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The cover assembly segments the protective function (fixed cover) from the access function (removable ring). The fixed cover maintains fixture stability and positioning within the concrete, while the removable ring provides adaptability by allowing easy access to the fixture body for adjustments after the concrete has cured.
3Reliability
If the cover assembly remains static after concrete pouring, then concrete containment is improved, but accessibility to the fixture is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cover assembly separates the concrete containment function performed by the fixed cover portion from the access function performed by the removable ring portion. The fixed cover maintains reliability by containing concrete during pouring and curing, while the removable ring can be easily taken off to provide accessibility to the fixture body when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring portion is designed to be temporarily discarded (removed) after serving its purpose of containing concrete during the pouring process. Once the concrete has cured, the ring can be easily removed and potentially reused or replaced, while the fixed cover remains to maintain fixture containment and structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of installing a fixture into a material are provided. The fixture includes a body and a cover assembly that is removably coupled to the body and configured to move relative to the body once the body has been secured within the material. The cover assembly includes a movable component configured to aid removal of the cover assembly.