Removable Electrical Module With Front-Access Snap-Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrical device modules require tedious and costly replacement processes, involving multiple steps and tools, and often struggle with secure fixation in plaster walls due to precision requirements and limited adjustability, leading to potential assembly issues and reduced robustness.
Innovation Solution
An integrated electrical equipment module with snap-fastening means accessible from the front, allowing for easy extraction and replacement without tools, and separate wall-fixing mechanisms that do not require dedicated cavities in the wall, enhancing installation efficiency and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional screw-fixed device support is used, then secure fixation is achieved, but replacement becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into three independent components: the electrical box fixed to the wall, the device support removable from the box, and the mechanism removable from the support. This segmentation allows the mechanism to be replaced without affecting the wall-fixed electrical box, enabling quick tool-free replacement by simply detaching and reattaching the mechanism to the device support.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the mechanism and device support transitions from a static screw-fixed state to a dynamic snap-fit state. The mechanism can be quickly attached and detached through snapping actions, enabling rapid replacement without tools while maintaining secure fixation during normal operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If device support with screw fixation is used, then stable installation is achieved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The installation process is segmented into independent stages: first fixing the electrical box to the wall, then attaching the device support to the box, and finally snapping the mechanism to the support. Each stage uses simple snap-fit connections rather than screw assembly, reducing installation complexity while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The installation method transitions from static screw fixation to dynamic snap-fit connections throughout the assembly hierarchy. This allows each component to be quickly attached and detached during installation and replacement, simplifying the overall process while maintaining secure connections during operation.
3Reliability
If ratchet teeth are used to hook at wall windows, then wall fixation is achieved, but wall cavity precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wall fixation function is separated from the mechanism and assigned to the electrical box. The electrical box contains the ratchet teeth that hook at the wall windows, while the mechanism and device support are independent removable components. This segmentation allows the electrical box to be precisely fitted to the wall during initial installation, while subsequent mechanism replacements do not require wall access or precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical box is preliminarily fixed to the wall with precise ratchet tooth engagement during the initial installation phase. This preliminary action establishes the secure wall fixation, while subsequent mechanism replacements can proceed without disturbing the wall-mounted electrical box, eliminating the need for repeated precision wall cavity work.
4Adaptability or versatility
If device support is permanently attached to electrical box, then structural stability is achieved, but replacement flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly is segmented into hierarchically connected components: the electrical box is stably fixed to the wall, the device support is removably attached to the electrical box, and the mechanism is removably attached to the device support. This segmentation provides replacement flexibility at the mechanism level while maintaining structural stability at the wall-mounted electrical box level.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection characteristics transition from static and stable (electrical box to wall) to dynamic and removable (device support to box, mechanism to support). This dynamic segmentation allows the mechanism to be flexibly replaced while the electrical box remains stably mounted, achieving both replacement flexibility and assembly stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns an electrical equipment module (130), to be inserted into a wiring box (110), comprising a housing (131) made of an insulating material and consisting of a side wall (132) closed at the front by a front wall (134) to define an inner space for receiving an electrical mechanism (140). According to the invention, the electrical equipment module comprises snap-fastening means (137) intended to hook on to the wiring box, which means comprise at least one hooking member (137A) movable between a retracted position in which it does not interfere with the insertion of the housing into said wiring box, and a projecting position in which it is intended to hook on directly to the wiring box, as well as means (137C) for controlling the snap-fastening means, that can be accessed from the front via an access opening (139) provided in said front wall, to bring back said hooking member to the retracted position thereof.