Guide Rail System for Functional Unit Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional control centers fail to reliably attach and remove functional units due to uplift issues when engaging guide pieces with groove-shaped guide rails, and require spacers for non-planar units, limiting horizontal placement outside the case.
Innovation Solution
A guide rail system with slide rails on the bottom of side plates and disk-shaped metal fittings on partition plates, inhibiting right-left and up-down movement, allowing secure attachment/removal and horizontal placement without spacers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If guide pieces are engaged with groove-shaped guide rails in a suspended state, then leftward/rightward movement is inhibited, but uplift of the functional unit cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single suspended engagement method to a dual-dimensional support system: guide pieces engage with guide rails at the upper portion for lateral guidance, while slide rails at the bottom provide vertical support and prevent uplift. This two-level engagement system resolves the contradiction by addressing both lateral stability and vertical restraint through different spatial dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide rails act as an intermediary element between the functional unit and the case bottom. These slide rails engage with corresponding guide structures on the case to prevent uplift, while the guide pieces continue to handle lateral guidance. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to simultaneously achieve lateral stability and vertical restraint without direct conflict between the two functions.
2Ease of operation
If functional units are held in a suspended state, then guide pieces can engage with guide rails, but the functional unit requires spacers for horizontal placement outside the case
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support function from the suspended engagement system and assigns it to dedicated slide rails at the bottom of the functional unit. By separating the lateral guidance function (guide pieces) from the vertical support function (slide rails), the system eliminates the need for additional spacers when placing functional units horizontally outside the case, as the slide rails themselves provide the necessary support surface.
3Productivity
If guide rails are disposed at the lower side of partition plates, then functional units can be attached/removed, but uplift occurs when contact elements connect to bus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing slide rails at the bottom of the functional unit that engage with case structures before the contact elements make connection to the bus. This preliminary engagement prevents uplift from occurring during the connection process, ensuring that the functional unit remains firmly positioned throughout the entire attachment sequence, thereby maintaining both productivity and connection reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A guide rail includes a rail guide to be attached to a top surface of a partition plate (4) partitioning a case (6) into a plurality of compartments; and a slide rail (2) provided on a bottom portion of a side plate (1) of a functional unit (10) and for sliding the functional unit (10) forward and backward on the partition plate (4). The rail guide includes a plurality of disk-shaped metal fittings (3) for each of left and right sides of the partition plate (4), and serves as a stopper for the slide rail (2) in the right-left direction and an upward direction by the disk-shaped metal fittings (3) being engaged with the slide rail (2) when the functional unit (10) is slid.