Openable Element Fitting With Toolless Fixation and Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fittings for openable elements such as doors, lockers, and windows are cumbersome to install, prone to structural degradation, and can be tampered with for unauthorized access, and are not easily reconfigurable for left-hand or right-hand operation.
Innovation Solution
A fitting with a housing, shaft, and actuation member that uses a fixing member and fixing protrusion for toolless installation, providing compressive fixation and reconfigurability for left-hand or right-hand operation without screws or bolts, and includes a push cylinder lock for enhanced security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional attachment means such as screws or nuts and bolts are used to secure fittings, then the structural integrity and security are improved, but the installation process becomes time-consuming and requires manual or power-driven tools
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing member is divided into distinct functional segments: an insertion portion for passing through the hole image, a fixing portion with fixing protrusions for engaging with the housing, and a rotational portion for actuation. This segmentation allows the fixing member to perform multiple functions (insertion, fixation, and adjustment) without requiring separate components like screws and bolts, thereby reducing installation time while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing member is designed to be self-fixing through its own structural features. The fixing protrusions on the fixing portion automatically engage with corresponding features in the housing when the insertion portion is pushed through the hole image, eliminating the need for external attachment means such as screws or nuts and bolts. This self-service mechanism significantly reduces installation time while ensuring reliable fixation
2Reliability
If traditional attachment means are used to secure fittings, then the structural integrity is improved, but the installation process requires manual or power-driven tools which are heavy and cumbersome to carry
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for external attachment means (screws, nuts and bolts, manual tools, or power-driven tools) by incorporating all necessary fixing functionality into the fixing member itself. The fixing protrusions and housing engagement features provide the structural integrity that would otherwise require separate fastening components, thereby removing the burden of carrying and operating heavy tools during installation
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing member performs all necessary fixation functions independently through its own structural design. The fixing protrusions engage with the housing to provide secure attachment without requiring external tools or components. This self-service capability makes the installation process simple and tool-free, directly addressing the ease of operation requirement while maintaining structural integrity
3Ease of operation
If fittings are designed for specific left-hand or right-hand operation, then the operational functionality is improved, but the reconfigurability for different operational directions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing member incorporates a rotational portion that can be rotated between different angular positions. This dynamic capability allows the fixing member to adapt to different operational requirements (left-hand or right-hand operation) by changing its orientation, thereby providing reconfigurability without compromising the operational functionality for any given configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing member is designed with universal functionality to accommodate multiple operational directions. The rotational capability allows a single fixing member design to serve both left-hand and right-hand operated openable elements, eliminating the need for different fixing members for different operational directions and thereby enhancing adaptability and versatility
4Adaptability or versatility
If fittings with reconfigurability for left-hand or right-hand operation are provided, then the adaptability is improved, but the structure becomes more complicated with many moving parts which results in a more fragile fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the reconfigurability function directly into the fixing member's structural design. The rotational portion is integrated with the fixing protrusions and housing engagement features, allowing reconfiguration through a simple rotational motion of a single component. This merging approach provides adaptability for different operational directions while avoiding the need for separate reconfiguration mechanisms and multiple moving parts, thereby reducing overall structural complexity
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a fitting for an openable element such as a door, locker, hatch, window, or the like, and an openable element preferably comprising the fitting. The fitting includes a housing arranged at one side of the openable element. A shaft extends from the housing, such that when the fitting is arranged to the openable element, the shaft extends through a hole image of the openable element. An actuation member is arranged on the shaft and rotatable relative to the housing. The fitting further includes a fixing member arranged axially along the shaft between the housing and the actuation member, such that the fixing member is rotatable relative to the housing and the shaft between an inserting position and a first fixing position.