Modular Electrical Outlet Assembly With Tool-Free Latch Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical power outlets require tools for installation and removal, and may not be easily reconfigured to accommodate different power needs in modular systems, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage during usage.
Innovation Solution
A three-part housing electrical outlet design that allows for tool-free installation and removal, featuring a perimeter, front, and rear housing portion with latch tabs and strain relief mechanisms, supporting electrical bus bars for secure mounting and durability, enabling easy reconfiguration and use in various power configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional electrical outlets are installed using conventional methods, then they provide stable electrical connection, but they require tools for installation and removal and cannot be easily reconfigured
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical outlet is divided into three separate housing portions (front, rear, and perimeter) that can be assembled and disassembled independently. The front housing portion with receptacle openings, the rear housing portion with electrical contacts, and the perimeter housing portion with latch tabs are designed as modular segments that snap together, enabling tool-free installation and removal while maintaining stable electrical connections when assembled.
2Ease of operation
If electrical outlets are made easily removable without tools, then reconfiguration becomes simple, but electrical contacts may be exposed during installation/removal
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical contacts in the rear housing portion are nested within the enclosed space formed by the three housing portions. The front housing portion with receptacle openings acts as an outer shell that contains and protects the electrical contacts. During installation and removal, the entire assembled unit is handled as one package, keeping the contacts protected inside until the unit is intentionally opened at the mounting surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The perimeter housing portion with latch tabs acts as an intermediary element between the front and rear housing portions. It provides a mechanical connection structure that keeps the electrical contacts enclosed while enabling tool-free assembly and disassembly through the latch tab mechanism that engages with the mounting surface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If modular electrical systems are used for reconfiguration, then adaptability improves, but the system may not resist damage and wear from rough usage
Solution Approach 1:
The three separate housing portions are merged into a single enclosed structure that protects the electrical contacts. The front, rear, and perimeter housing portions work together as an integrated unit that combines the benefits of modularity with the protection of an enclosed design, resisting damage and wear from rough usage while maintaining reconfigurability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical outlet has a housing including a perimeter housing portion sandwiched between front and rear housing portions. The perimeter housing portion define an interior and has a front edge and a rear edge. The front housing portion has a rear surface that engages the front edge of the perimeter housing portion, and the front housing portion includes one or more electrical receptacle openings to the interior, with a plurality of rearwardly-extending latch tabs for securing the electrical outlet to a mounting surface. The rear housing portion has a front surface that engages the rear edge of the perimeter housing portion. The rear and perimeter housing portions cooperate to define a strain relief for an electrical cord that supplies power to electrical contacts inside the housing.