Honeycomb Component Dovetail Groove Latching Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing honeycomb blocks face challenges in secure mechanical attachment and flexibility in assembly, leading to potential unintentional release of latching connections and limited adjustability in the number and size of connected blocks.
Innovation Solution
The honeycomb block design incorporates a tongue and groove mechanism with dovetail cross-sections on all side faces, enhanced by additional connecting elements such as latching hooks and recesses, and widened sections to prevent sliding and tilting, allowing for flexible assembly and increased stability without increasing space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a simple groove connection is used to attach honeycomb blocks, then the assembly is easy to manufacture, but the connection is prone to unintentional release and lacks stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the groove with a dovetail cross-section where the width varies along the insertion direction. The groove is wider at the opening and narrower at the bottom, creating a tapered geometry that prevents the tongue from being removed once inserted. This asymmetric design provides reliable mechanical attachment while maintaining simple manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved surfaces in the form of rounded edges and fillets at the corners of the tongue and groove components. These curved transitions reduce stress concentration points, improve the durability of the connection, and facilitate smoother assembly while maintaining the overall dovetail geometry for secure attachment.
2Reliability
If additional connecting elements like latching hooks are added to the spring, then the mechanical attachment is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the spring component by integrating both the electrical contact function and the mechanical attachment function. The spring serves as both the electrical conductor that establishes electrical contact and the mechanical element that provides latching through its dovetail geometry. This integration reduces the number of separate components needed while enhancing the mechanical attachment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring component is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical conduction, mechanical latching through the dovetail connection, and positional alignment. This multi-functional design reduces overall device complexity by eliminating the need for separate components for each function while enhancing the reliability of the honeycomb block attachment.
3Ease of manufacture
If honeycomb blocks are designed with fixed dimensions and uniform configuration, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the adaptability in assembly configurations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by designing the honeycomb block as a modular unit with standardized dimensions and uniform features on all side faces. Each block is an independent, identical module that can be assembled in various configurations. This segmentation allows for simple manufacturing of individual blocks while enabling great flexibility in assembling different sized arrangements by simply adding or removing modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The honeycomb blocks are designed with universal features including identical dovetail grooves and tongues on all four side faces, allowing each block to connect with any other block in any orientation. This universal design enables the same standardized component to be used in various configurations and arrangements, providing adaptability without requiring different block designs.
4Ease of manufacture
If the groove height is kept small to simplify production, then the manufacturing is easier, but the latching connection becomes unstable and prone to release
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetry in the dovetail groove design where the horizontal width varies along the vertical height. The groove is wider at the top opening and tapers to a narrower width at the bottom, creating a wedge-shaped geometry. This asymmetric profile provides stable latching with sufficient groove height by utilizing the widening at the opening for secure engagement while keeping the overall groove height manageable for manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates preliminary action by providing adequate groove height from the outset to ensure stable latching. The groove is designed with sufficient depth to accommodate the tongue fully and provide adequate engagement length, preventing unintentional release. This preliminary consideration of stability requirements during the design phase avoids the need for later modifications or reinforcements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3d
AI summary
The invention relates to a honeycomb component (1) for forming a patchboard, having a box-shaped housing (2), having two faces (3) and four side surfaces (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) which extend between the faces (3), wherein the two faces (3) each have at least one connection region (5). The honeycomb component (1) according to the invention is particularly securely connectible to an additional honeycomb component (1') in that at least one side surface (4a) has at least one spring (6) and at least one corresponding groove (7) for connecting to the spring (6) of another honeycomb component (1') is designed in the opposite side surface (4c), and in that a connection element is designed on the at least one spring (6) and the at least one groove (7) has a corresponding counter-connection element.