Panel Coupling Profile With Multi-Point Locking Against Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing panel coupling systems face issues with reliable long-term locking, as they tend to release over time due to slight rotations, and struggle to balance easy joining with secure attachment.
Innovation Solution
The panel design features a joint profile with a downward projecting locking part and an upward projecting locking part, where the distance between contact points is optimized to prevent drifting apart, with inclined and curved surfaces ensuring secure engagement and resistance against material tearing, allowing for both downward and angling movements for easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple coupling system is used for easy assembly, then the joining process is simple and quick, but the locking reliability deteriorates over time due to slight rotations causing release
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system is divided into multiple independent locking portions (first locking portion, second locking portion, third locking portion, fourth locking portion) that function separately. Each locking portion engages at different locations (first point of contact, second point of contact) to provide distributed locking against various forces including rotational movements, preventing overall system failure from single-point stress
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism transitions from simple vertical engagement to multi-dimensional locking by incorporating angled contact surfaces that engage at multiple points. The first and second locking portions provide vertical locking, while the third and fourth locking portions engage at angles to resist horizontal and rotational forces, creating a three-dimensional interlocking system
2Reliability
If multiple locking portions are added to improve locking reliability, then the coupling becomes more secure, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple locking portions are integrated into a single monolithic joint profile that is formed as one piece with the panel. The first locking portion, second locking portion, third locking portion, and fourth locking portion are all part of the same continuous structure, eliminating the need for separate components and simplifying manufacturing while maintaining multi-point locking functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The joint profile serves multiple functions simultaneously: the first and second locking portions provide vertical locking engagement, the third and fourth locking portions resist horizontal separation, and the angled contact surfaces distribute rotational stresses. This multi-functional design achieves comprehensive locking reliability without requiring multiple separate components
Data Source
AI summary
A panel, which, at two opposite edges, includes coupling parts that allow joining by a downward movement, the coupling parts including a male part that fits in a female part, wherein the male part comprises a laterally protruding lip with at a lower side a downward facing support surface.