Reconfigurable Electrical Box Hanger Assembly for Drop Ceilings
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical box hanger assemblies for suspended ceilings are typically bulky, making them difficult to store, ship, and display efficiently, as they require a significant profile for both shipping and installation, posing challenges for retailers and manufacturers.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable electrical box hanger assembly featuring a one-piece elongated bar, rotatable end pieces with support legs, a turnbuckle, and a center bracket, which can be locked into an expanded profile for installation and a compact profile for storage and shipping, utilizing bendable tabs for locking the end pieces to the bar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the hanger assembly is designed with widely spaced support legs and extended end plates for proper ceiling installation, then the installation functionality is improved, but the overall profile becomes bulky, making storage and shipping inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger assembly incorporates rotatable end pieces that can be positioned in different orientations. During storage and shipping, the end pieces are rotated to a compact position where the support legs are folded against the elongated bar, creating a streamlined profile. During installation, the end pieces are rotated to the expanded position where support legs extend outward to properly engage with ceiling T-rails, thus resolving the contradiction between installation functionality and storage compactness
2Volume of moving object
If the end pieces and turnbuckle are made rotatable to reduce profile for storage, then storage efficiency is improved, but the structural stability during installation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger assembly is divided into separable components including the elongated bar, end pieces, turnbuckle, and center bracket. The end pieces are designed as independent rotatable segments that can be folded against the bar for compact storage. During installation, these segmented parts are positioned and locked into place using bendable locking tabs that engage with slots in the elongated bar, providing structural stability while maintaining the ability to transition between compact and expanded configurations
3Reliability
If a locking arrangement with bendable tabs is added to secure the expanded profile, then structural reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism uses bendable tabs integrated directly into the elongated bar that engage with slots in the end pieces. The bendable tabs are designed to be manually bent by the installer to lock the end pieces in the expanded position, and can be bent back to release them. This self-locking mechanism provides reliable structural stability without requiring additional complex locking components, motors, or external fasteners, thus achieving high reliability with minimal added complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A reconfigurable electrical box hanger assembly for mounting a lighting or fan fixture to the grid supporting structure of a drop ceiling. The hanger assembly includes a one-piece elongated bar, two end pieces with widely spaced support legs, a turnbuckle, and a center bracket supporting an electrical box. The turnbuckle and end pieces are rotatable with respect to the elongated bar, thereby enabling two configurations of the hanger assembly including a compact profile for storage and shipping and an expanded profile for installation on a suspended ceiling. A locking arrangement includes bendable tabs which lock the end pieces with respect to the elongated bar thereby placing the hanger assembly into the expanded profile for installation on a suspended ceiling.