Fixture Support Posts for Solo Ceiling Fixture Wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Installing fixtures like lights or ceiling fans is difficult due to the need for two-handed operation to connect wiring, often requiring assistance and posing challenges with weight and height, especially when fixtures are mounted on ceilings or high walls.
Innovation Solution
A fixture installation tool with elongate support posts and removable stops that allow the fixture to be supported near the surface for wiring, eliminating the need for additional assistance by enabling single-handed operation and stable positioning during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional fixture installation methods are used, then wiring connection is possible, but additional assistance is required and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support post acts as an intermediary device between the fixture and the installer. It provides a temporary support structure that holds the fixture in place during wiring operations, eliminating the need for a second person to hold the fixture. The support post is attached to the mounting bracket and extends downward to provide stable support throughout the installation process.
2Manufacturing precision
If fixture is supported at ceiling height, then proper mounting position is maintained, but wiring operation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The support post serves as a mediator that decouples the fixture's mounting position from the installer's working position. By providing support at ceiling height while allowing the fixture to hang freely below, it enables wiring operations to be performed at a comfortable height while maintaining precise mounting alignment at the ceiling level.
Solution Approach 2:
The support post extends the support function from a two-dimensional mounting surface to a three-dimensional space. Instead of requiring the installer to work directly at ceiling height, the support post creates a vertical dimension that allows the fixture to be positioned at the correct mounting height while the wiring operations can be performed at a lower, more accessible position.
3Strength
If fixture weight is increased, then more robust construction is achieved, but support difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support post acts as a force distribution intermediary that transfers the weight of heavy fixtures from the installer's hands to the mounting bracket and ceiling structure. This allows robust, heavy fixtures to be installed and wired without requiring manual support, as the support post bears the entire weight during the wiring process.
4Ease of operation
If additional assistance is obtained, then fixture support is improved, but installation time and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support post enables the installation system to serve itself by providing automatic mechanical support without requiring human assistance. Once attached to the mounting bracket, the support post autonomously holds the fixture in place, eliminating the need for a second person and the coordination that would be required between multiple installers.
Data Source
AI summary
A fixture installation tool provides for installation of a fixture on a mounting bracket adjacent a surface. The fixture installation tool includes at least one elongate support post removably attached to the mounting bracket and oriented such that the elongate support post extends to a distal end away from the surface, the elongate support post having a diameter such that the elongate support post slidably fits through a mounting hole of the fixture and at least one removable stop located on the distal end of the at least one elongate support post, the removable stop sized to prevent the fixture from sliding off of the at least one elongate support post. The at least one elongate support post is removably attached to the mounting bracket such that the fixture installation tool supports the fixture in proximity to the surface for wiring of the fixture.