Articulated Panel Connection Kit with External Lever Pin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing panel connection systems for sheds and stables are cumbersome, prone to dirt accumulation, and difficult to install due to the need for panel removal and mechanical stops that complicate disengagement and re-engagement of panels.
Innovation Solution
A kit featuring male and female pieces with lateral wings and an auxiliary retaining pin actuated by a lever, allowing for easy engagement and disengagement without panel removal, with the pin positioned outside the panel to prevent dirt accumulation and facilitate vertical movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the retaining pin is housed in a hollow fitted into the panel to allow lever actuation, then the panel can be raised and lowered during engagement operations, but the hollow accumulates dirt and requires panel removal for installation
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining pin is extracted from the panel hollow and repositioned on the exterior surface of the panel. The pin protrudes from the panel surface and is actuated by a lever that extends outward, eliminating the need for a hollow fitted into the panel. This extraction resolves the dirt accumulation problem while maintaining the engagement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining pin is moved from an interior position (within a hollow fitted into the panel) to an exterior position (on the outer surface of the panel). This dimensional transition from inside-to-outside eliminates the enclosed hollow space that trapped dirt, while the lever provides external access for actuation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the panel with female pieces supports weight during connection operations, then structural stability is maintained, but fitting coupling holes into coupling protrusions becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling protrusions are preliminarily positioned and held in place on the male pieces before the engagement operation. The male piece with protrusions can be manually positioned against the female piece, and the protrusions are already in their correct engagement positions, making the coupling operation easier even when the female piece supports panel weight.
3Reliability
If the retaining pin is positioned inside a groove on the panel edge, then mechanical stop prevents disengagement, but panel removal is required for installation and the lever must extend through the panel
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining pin is extracted from the groove and repositioned on the exterior surface of the panel. The pin protrudes outward and is actuated by a lever that extends from the exterior, eliminating the need for groove formation and panel removal during installation. The mechanical stop function is maintained through the pin's positioning relative to the coupling features.
4Ease of operation
If the hollow is made wide enough to allow lever rotation and displacement, then the lever can be actuated properly, but the hollow becomes a larger source of dirt accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The lever actuation mechanism is extracted from the panel hollow and repositioned on the exterior surface. The lever now operates in open space outside the panel rather than within a confined hollow, providing full actuation range without creating an enclosed dirt-trapping volume.
Data Source
AI summary
A kit for articulated connection between dividing panels having a pair of male pieces with a coupling protrusion; and a pair of female pieces with a coupling hole, the protrusions engage the holes when relative vertical movement between the pair of male and female pieces is produced when fixed to the panels. One of the first or second pair of pieces is configured with a depression such that the coupling protrusion or the coupling hole is arranged in the groove. The kit includes an auxiliary piece with a retaining pin actuatable with a lever and with an angled end, fixable to the lateral wing of one of the male pieces, the pin remaining parallel to the lateral wing and outside the panel. Regulated by the lever, the angled retaining end of the pin can be arranged in at least two positions: a release position and a locking position.