Panel Locking Arrangement with Nested Hinge Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing panel systems face challenges in securely locking panels in place when opened, particularly in preventing them from falling, and in allowing for compact storage by minimizing the spread angle and distance between locking housings.
Innovation Solution
The panel system incorporates parallel upper and lower guides with locking housings and hinge elements featuring locking cams and a guiding edge, allowing early locking with reduced spread angle and preventing cam collisions, enabling panels to be stored closely together.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking housings are made larger to allow earlier locking of the hinge element, then the spread angle for locking is reduced, but the distance between locking housings must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge element is designed to nest within the locking housing when locked, with the locking cam fitting into the locking recess. This nesting arrangement allows compact positioning of locking housings while ensuring secure locking, as the hinge element integrates into the available space within each housing rather than requiring additional clearance space.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism transitions from a linear distance-based arrangement to a radial arrangement centered on the rotation axis. The locking housings are positioned at distances P1 and P2 from the rotation axis, creating a compact circular pattern that reduces the linear distance between housings while maintaining adequate locking clearance through the radial dimension.
2Volume of moving object
If the distance between locking housings is reduced to allow compact panel storage, then space efficiency is improved, but the locking reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge element nests within the locking housing, with the locking cam fitting precisely into the locking recess. This nested configuration allows the panels to be stored in close proximity while maintaining secure locking, as the hinge element integrates into the compact space within each housing rather than requiring additional clearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking recess is designed with a curved surface that matches the curvature of the locking cam. This curved geometry allows the hinge element to be locked securely at various angles of panel opening, enabling compact storage positions while maintaining reliable locking through the conforming curved surfaces that guide and secure the hinge element.
3Ease of operation
If the panel is allowed to turn to larger angles when open, then ventilation or access is improved, but the panel becomes less stable and more prone to falling
Solution Approach 1:
The locking cam engages with the locking recess at an early stage of panel opening, before the panel reaches large angles. This preliminary locking action secures the panel in intermediate positions, preventing it from falling while still allowing adequate opening angles for ventilation or access. The locking engagement occurs proactively rather than reactively.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking cam and locking recess act as intermediary elements between the hinge element and the panel weight. This intermediary locking mechanism provides the necessary support and stability for the panel at various opening angles, transferring the load from the hinge to the locking housing and ensuring panel stability without restricting the opening angle.
Data Source
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AI summary
The panel system comprises a lower guide and an upper guide and at least one panel which is located between the lower guide and the upper guide, and connected to the lower guide and the upper guide, in order to move the panel on the lower guide. The panel system comprises a hinge element which is fixed to the panel and allows the panel to be opened by turning essentially around a rotation axis. The panel system further comprises at least two locking housings positioned successively on the upper guide. The locking housings comprise two opposite locking recesses, which define a circle with radius R3 and between which remains a passage with width P2. The hinge element can travel from one locking housing to another through the passage. The distance between the locking housings is distance P1, which is configured to be less than two times radius R3. The hinge element may comprise two locking cams and in addition a guiding edge remaining between them. The panel system locking arrangement comprises the said hinge element.