Knockout Plate Assembly for Wireless Controller Remote Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless controllers placed within housings face challenges such as signal attenuation, limited access to controls, and obscured visual feedback due to housing materials and designs, making remote access and control difficult without disassembling the device.
Innovation Solution
A plate assembly is engaged to a knockout hole in the housing, providing external access to stimulating devices, antenna connections, and visual indicators, allowing remote operation and maintenance of wireless communication devices without opening the housing, and can be used with various housing types, including IP-rated ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the wireless controller is placed within the housing, then the device can be integrated into the housing structure, but the housing materials (such as metal) substantially attenuate or prevent radio signal propagation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the wireless controller into separate functional components: the controller unit remains inside the housing for integration, while the antenna is separated and positioned outside the housing through a knockout hole. This segmentation allows the controller to maintain integration benefits while the antenna operates in a location that does not attenuate radio signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The knockout hole acts as an intermediary element that allows the antenna to pass through the housing boundary. This intermediary structure enables the antenna to be positioned outside the metal housing without requiring the controller itself to be outside, thus maintaining both integration and signal propagation requirements.
2Device complexity
If the wireless controller is placed within the housing, then the device structure is compact, but access to stimulating devices (buttons, switches) is prevented as the controller resides within the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The knockout hole serves as an intermediary that allows control elements (stimulating devices) to extend from the interior controller to the exterior housing surface. This enables users to access and operate buttons and switches from outside the housing while the controller remains compactly integrated inside.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends control accessibility to a different spatial dimension by routing stimulating devices through the housing wall via the knockout hole. This allows control elements to be positioned in three-dimensional space such that they are both integrated with the internal controller and accessible from the external environment.
3Device complexity
If the wireless controller is placed within the housing, then the device maintains a clean external appearance, but visual feedback mechanisms (LEDs) are blocked as housings do not provide necessary transparency
Solution Approach 1:
The knockout hole acts as an intermediary opening that allows visual feedback elements (such as LEDs) to be positioned such that they can display information externally while the controller remains inside the housing. This maintains the clean appearance of the housing while providing necessary visual information feedback.
4Adaptability or versatility
If various housing designs are accommodated, then the wireless controller can be used with different fixture types, but it becomes difficult to provide access to antenna wires, stimulating devices and visual indicators without opening or disassembling the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The knockout hole is a universal feature found in many housing designs that can be used to provide external access to antenna wires, stimulating devices, and visual indicators. This multi-functional approach allows a single access method to serve multiple purposes across different housing types, eliminating the need for housing-specific access solutions.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus for engaging a wireless communication device assembly to a housing. In one aspect including a wireless communication device assembly adapted to engage a knockout hole in a housing after removal of a knockout blank from the knockout hole, the wireless communication device assembly adapted to connect to the base unit and comprising: a housing engagement portion being of dimensions to at least substantially cover any uncovered portions of the knockout; a remote unit portion positioned outside of the housing when the wireless communication device assembly is engaged with the knockout hole, the remote unit portion having a remote unit surface distal from the housing engagement portion; and at least one of: an antenna device to receive wireless communications and a stimulating device that upon actuation of the stimulating device causes the base unit to perform one or more predefined operations.