Hinged Display Assembly With Closed-Loop Cooling for Field Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic display assemblies are difficult to service and maintain, especially when located outdoors, due to environmental protection encasements that hinder access to electronic components, and require interaction with utility lines, increasing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A field serviceable and replaceable assembly design featuring hingedly mounted side assemblies that can swing outward for access, with a sealed, powered, and cooled electronics cavity, allowing for easy maintenance and replacement without disturbing external power and communication connections, and optional increased cooling through additional air channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the display is encased in a housing to protect from environmental conditions, then protection from environmental hazards is improved, but access to electronic components for servicing becomes difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a fixed portion and a removable side assembly. The side assembly can be detached from the fixed portion to provide access to electronic components while maintaining environmental protection when assembled. This segmentation allows the system to switch between protected operation mode and serviced access mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic components are extracted from the fully enclosed housing and placed in a cavity that is accessible when the side assembly is removed. This extraction allows servicing of components without compromising the overall protective enclosure structure.
2Reliability
If the housing is sealed to protect electronic components, then reliability is improved, but ability to service components in the field becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The housing transitions from a static sealed structure to a dynamic structure with movable and removable parts. The side assembly can be swung outward on hinges or completely removed, allowing the housing to adapt between sealed operation state and open service state.
Solution Approach 2:
The side assembly is pre-configured with hinges and mounting mechanisms that enable quick removal and reattachment. This preliminary design of removable access points allows field servicing without requiring complex disassembly procedures.
3Reliability
If technicians must interact with utility lines for servicing, then power and communication connections are maintained, but costs and complexity of servicing increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power and communication connections are extracted from the utility line interface and relocated to the removable side assembly. When the side assembly is removed, these connections are brought outside the housing, allowing technicians to disconnect and service components without interacting with fixed utility lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The side assembly acts as an intermediary between the utility lines and the electronic components. It provides a removable interface that connects to utility lines when assembled, and can be detached to provide access to components while maintaining the utility line connections at the housing.
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
Facilitates efficient servicing and maintenance of electronic displays by providing access to internal components without disrupting external connections, reducing downtime and costs, and enhancing cooling capabilities for high-brightness or extreme environments.
Implementation Method 1
a closed loop of circulating gas and an open loop of ambient air may flow through the assembly
Implementation Method 2
a closed loop of circulating gas and an open loop of ambient air may flow through the assembly
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A field serviceable assembly includes a first and second side assembly (14) hingedly mounted to a frame (12) in a back to back arrangement. At least one of the side assemblies (14) has a cover panel (17), an electronic display (11), a first channel (25) that receives circulating gas (36), and a second channel (23) that receives ambient air (38). A cavity (18) is located in the space between the rear surfaces of the side assemblies (14) and the frame (12) and contains an electronics plate (42) for receiving electronic components (30/44). The cavity (18) and the first channel (25) are part of a closed loop pathway, while the second channel (23) is part of an open loop pathway.