Modular Enclosure with Interlocking Tray Modules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular media and electrical enclosures are limited by the size of knock out openings, which restrict component mounting across stacked enclosures, and are often bulky or difficult to assemble and handle.
Innovation Solution
A modularly expandable enclosure design featuring top and bottom end plates and elongated tray modules with interlocking mechanisms, allowing for continuous vertical back surfaces and easy assembly, with tray modules having inverted U-shape structures and interlocking fasteners for secure engagement, enabling mounting of components to the back surface of adjacent modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vertically stacked enclosures with knock out openings are used, then modularity is achieved, but component mounting across stacked enclosures is restricted due to limited opening size
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is divided into multiple stackable modules, each with its own end plates and tray components. This segmentation allows independent mounting surfaces on each module while maintaining overall modularity, enabling components to be mounted on any module's back surface without being constrained by knock out opening sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from limited two-dimensional knock out openings to three-dimensional continuous back surfaces across multiple stacked modules. This dimensional expansion provides ample mounting area for components by utilizing the vertical stacking arrangement and the full back surface area of each module.
2Ease of operation
If traditional modular enclosures are designed for stacking, then modularity is achieved, but assembly and handling become bulky or inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The tray components are designed to nest within the enclosure modules, with trays fitting inside the modular sections. This nesting arrangement reduces the overall bulk during storage and transportation while maintaining full functionality when assembled, making the system easier to handle and assemble.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure design incorporates dynamic assembly features that allow for easy configuration and reconfiguration. The modular components can be quickly assembled and disassembled without requiring excessive space or complex procedures, adapting to different assembly environments and handling requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A modularly expandable enclosure including a top end plate, a bottom end plate, and one or more elongated tray modules. The top end plate, the bottom end plate and the tray modules define an interior space of the enclosure. Opposite vertical ends of each tray module define an upper end connecting portion and a lower end connecting portion. The upper end connecting portion is configured for engagement with the top end plate and further configured for engagement with a lower end connecting portion of a vertically upwardly adjacent module tray. The lower end connecting portion is configured for engagement with the bottom end plate and further configured for engagement with an upper end connecting portion of a vertically downwardly adjacent tray module.