Hinged Wall Box Nozzle for Electrical Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wall boxes for electrical installations face issues such as accidental damage to electrical materials due to nozzle part misalignment, complex production processes, and high logistics costs due to separate components, as well as difficulty in pivoting the nozzle part back into the box during installation.
Innovation Solution
The nozzle part is integrated with the box and produced via injection moulding, allowing it to pivot fully inward for simplified production and storage, with a cam mechanism to secure it in place and an elastic lip for easy retraction, enabling easy installation and secure positioning within the wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the nozzle part is integrated with the box and produced via injection moulding, then production is simplified and costs are reduced, but the nozzle part becomes difficult to pivot back into the box during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle part is segmented from the main box body through a hinge connection, allowing it to pivot independently. This segmentation enables the nozzle to be folded into the box during storage and transport, then extended during installation, resolving the contradiction between integrated production and operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle part transitions from a static integrated structure to a dynamic pivotable component. The hinge mechanism allows the nozzle to change its position dynamically - folded during storage, extended during installation - enabling both simplified production and easy retraction.
2Ease of operation
If the nozzle part is made pivotable via a hinge, then it can be folded into the box for storage, but the nozzle part can accidentally pivot back and damage electrical installation material
Solution Approach 1:
A cam mechanism is provided that automatically engages to lock the nozzle part in its extended position after installation. This preliminary locking action prevents accidental pivoting back that could damage electrical materials, while still allowing intentional folding when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
An elastic lip acts as an intermediary element between the nozzle part and the box body. This elastic component provides both the sealing function to prevent accidental pivoting and the flexibility to allow intentional folding when required during installation.
3Reliability
If a loose bottom is used to cover the opening in the bottom of the box, then the nozzle part is prevented from accidentally pivoting back, but the loose bottom can be accidentally forced back inwards by tube pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom closure is merged with the box body as an integrated flexible portion rather than a separate loose component. This integration eliminates the risk of the bottom being accidentally forced back by tube pressure, while still allowing the nozzle to pivot safely when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom closure is made from a flexible material that can deform elastically under tube pressure without being forced back inwards. This flexible membrane provides continuous sealing while resisting the harmful effect of tube pressure that would affect a rigid loose bottom.
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
This design simplifies production, reduces costs, and facilitates easy installation and retrieval of the nozzle part, ensuring secure sealing and preventing accidental damage to electrical components.
Implementation Method 1
via a hinge (8), which is integrated with the rest of the box (1)
Implementation Method 2
a cam mechanism to secure it in place
Implementation Method 3
an elastic lip for easy retraction
Implementation Method 4
produced via injection moulding
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Box (1) for fastening in a hole of a hollow wall. The box comprises a bottom, consisting of substantially complementary first (2) and second (12) portions, and a wall, consisting of first (4) and second (14) portions, defining a space (24) in which material of an electrical installation can be fitted. On the outer side, the second wall portion has a nozzle (16). The second bottom portion (12) and the second wall portion (14) with the nozzle (16) form a nozzle part (6). The wall portions are integrated via a hinged portion (8) having an axis parallel to the bottom. Along their free edges, the bottom portions (2, 12) have locations of such dimensions that, when the bottom portions extend substantially in one and the same plane, the bottom portions secure each other. On the second bottom portion a lip (26) is formed, with which, after the box has been installed in the hollow wall, the nozzle part can be pulled back into the space.