Push-button locking hinge assembly with 360-degree pivot
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current adjustable and lockable hinge assemblies for bracketing are complex to design and assemble, require numerous components and tools, and often necessitate full assembly by sellers due to limited adaptability, leading to increased costs, space inefficiency, and the need for entire assembly replacement upon part damage.
Innovation Solution
A push-button, locking hinge assembly that allows 360-degree positional adjustment and secure connection of longitudinally oriented support members to a fixed structure, featuring a base element, push-button element, cap element, and release assembly, minimizing parts and tools required, and enabling easy installation and customization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional adjustable and lockable hinge assemblies are used, then limited range of motion is provided, but adaptability and ease of installation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is designed with a universal base element that can accommodate multiple cap elements with different functions and configurations. The base element includes a universal receiving structure that accepts various cap types, allowing the same base to be used across different applications while providing 360-degree rotational adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge assembly is divided into separate modular components: a base element and interchangeable cap elements. This segmentation allows the functional parts to be separated, with the cap element containing the locking mechanism and the base element providing the mounting structure, enabling easier assembly and replacement.
2Reliability
If traditional hinge assemblies with multiple components are used, then locking functionality is achieved, but assembly time and labor are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is integrated directly into the cap element itself, merging the cap and locking components into a single unit. The cap element includes internal locking features that engage with the base element, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms and reducing assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap element is pre-configured with locking features and geometry that automatically engage with the base element upon installation. The preliminary design of the interfacing surfaces and locking geometries ensures that proper locking occurs automatically during the assembly process without requiring additional adjustment or tools.
3Strength
If traditional hinge assemblies are used, then structural connection is provided, but ease of repair and part replacement are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is divided into separate modular components: a base element and interchangeable cap elements. This segmentation allows the functional parts to be separated, with the cap element containing the locking mechanism and the base element providing the mounting structure, enabling easier assembly and replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The base element is designed as a universal component that can work with multiple types of cap elements. This universality means that if one cap element is damaged, it can be replaced with a different type without replacing the entire hinge assembly or the base element, facilitating easier repair and maintenance.
4Measurement precision
If location dependent uprights are used, then specific positioning is achieved, but design and assembly effort are multiplied
Solution Approach 1:
The base element serves as a universal mounting component that can be used with various cap elements for different positioning requirements. This universality reduces design effort by eliminating the need to create location-dependent uprights for each specific application, as the same base element can be adapted to different positions and configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A push-button, locking hinge assembly includes a base element, a push-button element, a cap element, an assembly to lock these three elements about a central axis, and a release assembly allowing the cap element to pivot 360 degrees transversely to the central axis and in relation to the base element. Geometric ends of the hinge assembly allow insertion into any two components to be so releasably pivoted and repositioned, and then locked into a desired position relative one to the other.