Right-Angle Gearbox Cabinet Opening for Clear Access Counters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display counter systems with upward opening mechanisms face challenges in cleaning and loading/unloading due to structural limitations, such as difficulty in supporting large plates and obstructed visibility/access, requiring multiple vertical rods that increase complexity and reduce usability.
Innovation Solution
A new upward plate-moving system with a bearing section bar and gripper mechanism, utilizing a right angle gearbox and gas spring/elastic element to distribute force, allowing for smooth movement with minimal energy loss and reduced structural stress, enabling the use of fewer vertical rods for improved visibility and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional upward opening systems with multiple vertical rods are used, then structural stability is improved, but visibility and user access are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the central vertical rod from the traditional superstructure, retaining only two side vertical rods. This extraction eliminates the obstruction to visibility and user access while the remaining side rods maintain structural stability through the optimized bearing section bar and gripper mechanism.
2Strength
If section bars with large cross section are used to support plates, then plate support capability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension to the support mechanism through the bearing section bar positioned above the plate, rather than relying solely on horizontal section bar thickness. The bearing section bar extends vertically and connects to the gripper mechanism, distributing loads through a three-dimensional structure that achieves strength without requiring excessively thick horizontal section bars.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripper mechanism acts as an intermediary between the vertical rods and the plate, providing a specialized interface for plate support. The gripper includes horizontal section bars that directly engage the plate edges, distributing the support force along the plate edges rather than concentrating it, which reduces the required cross-section of supporting elements.
3Reliability
If multiple section bars are used to prevent torsion and bending, then structural reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture and installation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into distinct functional components: two side vertical rods, a bearing section bar, and a gripper mechanism with its own section bars. Each segment is designed and manufactured separately and then assembled together, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining structural reliability through the coordinated arrangement of these segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing section bar and gripper mechanism are designed to be pre-assembled as a unit before installation onto the vertical rods. This preliminary assembly allows for quality control and adjustment to be performed before final installation, ensuring proper alignment and reducing on-site installation complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a cost-effective, user-friendly, and hygienic solution by reducing the number of vertical rods needed, enhancing visibility and user access while maintaining structural integrity and ease of installation, suitable for various counter configurations.
Implementation Method 1
The right angle gearbox is made up of a first conical cogwheel and of a second conical cogwheel engaging each other. The first conical cogwheel is pivoted onto the support section bar and an end of the arm is fastened to it. A first end of the gas spring or elastic element is pivoted onto the second end of the arm.
Implementation Method 2
Each plate moving device comprises a support section bar, a right angle gearbox or a pivot joint, an arm, an element which can take the initial form again as soon as the forces acting on it cease to do so as well as a clamp. Said element is a gas spring or an elastic element.
Implementation Method 3
The movement is smooth and there is no energy loss thanks to the geometry of the conical cogwheels and to their transmission ratio.
Data Source
AI summary
An opening system comprising an upper bearing section bar (1) fastened to the vertical rods, a gripper for the plate (4) made up of a first section bar (2) and of a second section bar (3) and at least one moving device (5) for the plate (4); each moving device (5) is made up of a support section bar (6), a right angle gearbox, an arm (7), a gas spring (8) and a clamp (9); the right angle gearbox is made up of a first conical cogwheel (10) and a second conical cogwheel (11) engaging each other; the arm of the first conical cogwheel (10) acts as lever, transforming the axial movement of the rod of the gas spring (8) into a radial movement of the second conical cogwheel (11) and of the elements linked thereto: clamp (9), gripper for the plate (4) and plate itself (4).