Modular Chassis for Wireless Module Replacement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronics assemblies require substantial redesign or replacement when wireless communications devices need revision or replacement due to differences in regional specifications, communication standards, modulation schemes, or unreliable terrestrial coverage, leading to inefficiencies in hardware interfacing and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A modular chassis with an array of slots and side rails for mounting electronic modules, featuring a central structure with electrical connectors that allow for easy installation and removal of trays with corresponding connectors, enabling rapid replacement of wireless modules without affecting other hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless communications devices are revised or replaced to meet different regional specifications, communication standards, or frequency bands, then the device can comply with different technical requirements, but the entire electronics assembly must be redesigned or replaced, leading to substantial engineering resources and time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The electronics assembly is divided into independent modular trays, each housing a specific wireless communications device. Each tray can be individually removed and replaced without affecting other modules in the assembly. The modular chassis provides separate mounting slots and retention mechanisms for each tray, enabling independent updates of wireless devices while maintaining other hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis is designed with universal mounting structures, standardized electrical connectors, and consistent mechanical interfaces that can accommodate different types of wireless communications devices. This universal design allows various trays with different communication standards (TDMA, GSM, CDMA, satellite receivers) to be installed in the same chassis without requiring custom integration work.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wireless communications devices are revised or replaced to meet different technical requirements, then the device can support different frequency bands or modulation schemes, but other hardware in the electronics assembly may not interface with the new device without substantial engineering resources
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is pre-configured with standardized electrical connectors, mechanical mounting structures, and retention mechanisms before the wireless devices are installed. Each slot in the chassis has pre-installed connectors that match the trays, ensuring that when a tray is installed, electrical and mechanical interfaces are immediately compatible without requiring additional engineering work.
Solution Approach 2:
All mounting structures, electrical connectors, and retention mechanisms throughout the chassis use consistent designs and interfaces. This homogeneity ensures that any tray can be installed in any slot using the same procedures and connectors, simplifying the interfacing process and eliminating the need for custom integration work when replacing wireless devices.
3Productivity
If a modular chassis with multiple slots and trays is used to allow independent replacement of wireless modules, then engineering resources and time are reduced, but the chassis structure becomes more complex with side rails, central structures, and multiple connectors
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional elements are merged into integrated components. The side rails serve both as structural support for the chassis and as mounting structures for the trays. The central structure combines mechanical support, electrical connector mounting, and tray retention functions. This merging reduces the number of separate components while maintaining the modular capability for rapid tray replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray is nested within the chassis structure, with the tray fitting into slots defined by the side rails and central structure. The electrical connectors are nested within the tray and central structure, with the tray connectors mating with the central structure connectors. This nested arrangement allows the modular trays to be easily inserted and removed while the chassis provides a unified structural framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A platform comprises an array of slots for mounting electronic modules. Side rails are mounted on the platform. A side rail defines at least one outer edge of a slot. A central structure mechanically supports corresponding first electrical connectors for the slots. In a slot, a tray holds an electronic module. The tray comprises a second electrical connector supported at or near an interior end of the tray. The tray is secured laterally by at least one of the side rails. The tray is secured at or near the interior end by the second electrical connector that engages the first electrical connector. The tray is secured at or near an exterior end by an outer fastener associated with a floor of the platform.