PLC Unit Cover Opening Direction Inversion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional PLC units with rotatable covers interfere with adjacent units when arranged side by side, hindering full opening and degrading operability and cable connection efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A PLC unit design featuring a duct at the side of each control unit, allowing covers to open opposite to the base, reducing interference and enhancing operability by providing an obstacle-free area for cover rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cover is arranged to open to the left or right direction, then the cover can be opened, but adjacent control units interfere with each other and the covers cannot be fully opened
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of opening the cover to the left or right (conventional direction), the cover is designed to open in the opposite direction - upward away from the base. This inversion of the opening direction eliminates interference from adjacent control units while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover opening movement transitions from the horizontal dimension (left/right) to the vertical dimension (upward). By changing the dimension of movement, the cover can open fully without being blocked by adjacent control units, thereby improving cable connection work efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If the finger hooking part is provided on the left side of the cover, then the cover can be opened, but operability by a right hand is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The finger hooking part is positioned asymmetrically at the center of the cover rather than on the left or right side. This central positioning creates asymmetric accessibility from both sides, allowing both left-handed and right-handed users to operate the cover with equal ease, thereby improving adaptability.
3Productivity
If the cover is made openable in an area opposite to the base with respect to the duct, then interference from adjacent units is eliminated, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cover support structure serves multiple functions: it supports the cover, defines the opening direction, and positions the duct. By making the support structure multi-functional, the patent achieves upward cover opening without adding separate components, thereby eliminating interference from adjacent units while minimizing structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A PLC unit comprises a control unit that includes a first surface of a substantially rectangular shape, where a unit-side connector is provided on a second surface that is a back surface side of the first surface, a base that includes a fixing surface having a base-side connector connected to the unit-side connector provided thereon, where a plurality of the control units are fixed on the fixing surface side by side in a lateral direction of the first surface, and a duct that is provided along a side part of the control unit on a longitudinal direction side of the first surface so as to be closer to the base side, wherein at least a part of the first surface of the control unit is constituted by a cover which is rotatably supported about an axis substantially parallel to the lateral direction of the first surface, and is openable in an area opposite to the base.