Mounting Frame Locking Tongue for Enclosure Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mounting frames for electronics and instrumentation enclosures are difficult to mount quickly and securely, especially at sub-zero temperatures, and there is a high risk of losing small parts during assembly due to the complexity and number of components required.
Innovation Solution
A mounting frame design featuring elongated parallel supports with locking tongues that extend at an angle of 70 to 100 degrees, allowing the corner parts to be securely fastened without screws, reducing the risk of parts being lost and enabling easy installation by providing a self-bracing mechanism that maintains geometry during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional screw-based fastening is used to attach corner parts to supports, then the mounting frame can be securely assembled, but the assembly process becomes slow and requires many small parts that are prone to being lost
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tongue and support surface are merged into a single integrated component formed as one piece with the elongated support. This eliminates the need for separate fastening parts like screws and corner pieces, enabling rapid assembly while maintaining secure connection through the integrated locking mechanism that engages with the mounting hole in the corner part
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the unnecessary small parts (screws, separate corner pieces, intermediate fasteners) from the assembly system. By using a locking tongue that is formed as one piece with the support, the design removes these extraneous components that were previously required for fastening, thereby preventing loss and simplifying the assembly process
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate parts and fastening components are used, then the mounting frame can be assembled, but the risk of losing small parts increases during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tongue is merged with the elongated support to form a single integrated component. This eliminates separate fastening parts that could be lost during assembly, while the support surface provides the necessary fastening function through direct engagement with the mounting hole, reducing the total number of parts that could potentially be lost
3Reliability
If traditional fastening methods are used, then the corner parts can be attached to supports, but the mounting process becomes laborious especially at sub-zero temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tongue with its support surface provides a self-service fastening mechanism where the corner part is inserted and automatically secured through engagement with the mounting hole. The design requires no external tools or complex manipulation, making it particularly suitable for sub-zero temperatures where tool handling becomes difficult. The self-bracing mechanism further enhances ease of operation by maintaining geometric stability during assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the need for external fastening tools (screwdrivers, wrenches) and complex multi-step fastening procedures. By using the integrated locking tongue that engages directly with the mounting hole, the design eliminates the requirement for additional tools and simplifies the operation to a simple insertion and locking action
4Productivity
If the locking tongue extends at an angle of 70 to 100 degrees with length greater than mounting hole height, then the corner parts are securely fastened without screws, but the geometry of the support structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tongue and support surface are combined into a single integrated element formed as one piece with the elongated support. This merging allows the structure to achieve secure fastening with the angled locking tongue (70-100 degrees) while avoiding the need for additional separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the angular geometry
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a mounting frame for an electronics and instrumentation enclosure, the frame comprising two elongated supports (14, 15) joined by an elongated piece (11) and four corner parts (1 to 4) fastened to the ends (5 to 8) of the elongated supports (14, 15) by fastening means (17 to 20).For the mounting frame to be easy and rapid to assemble and to mount inside the enclosure also at the mounting site, the ends ( to 8) of the elongated supports (14, 15) are provided with a locking tongue (9) formed as one piece with the elongated support and extending away from a plane defined by the elongated supports (14, 15), and through- hole for mounting (10) are provided at the corner parts ( to 4) and arranged to receive the locking tongues (9) of the elongated supports without clearance, the corner parts (1 to 4) comprising a plural number of such mounting holes (10) at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the corner parts. The invention also relates to an elongated support (14, 15) for a mounting frame.