Removable-Pin Hinge Design for Quick Enclosure Door Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for removing hinged doors from enclosures are arduous and time-consuming, especially during shipment or component installation, as they require removing fasteners and can disrupt torque specifications and waterproof seals.
Innovation Solution
A hinge system with a pin and pocket configuration that allows conversion between locked and unlocked states by using a fastener that extends into a circumferential groove on the pin, enabling easy door removal without altering the hinge's attachment to the enclosure body or door.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional fasteners are used to secure the hinge to the door and enclosure body, then the hinge provides strong attachment, but removing the door becomes arduous and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge system is segmented into distinct functional components: a pin with circumferential groove, a pocket receiving the pin, and a fastener with a distal end that interfaces with the groove. This segmentation allows the fastener to independently control door attachment without requiring removal of the entire hinge assembly, enabling quick door removal while maintaining strong attachment when engaged.
Solution Approach 2:
The circumferential groove on the pin acts as an intermediary mechanism between the fastener and the hinge connection. The fastener's distal end engages with this groove to provide the locking function, separating the attachment function from the hinge structure itself. This allows the fastener to be removed or disengaged quickly to release the door without affecting the hinge's permanent attachment to the enclosure body.
2Ease of operation
If conventional fasteners are removed to detach the door, then the door can be removed, but torque specifications and waterproof seals are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment function is extracted from the hinge structure itself and assigned to a separate, removable fastener. The fastener's distal end engages with the circumferential groove on the pin to provide secure attachment, but can be independently removed or disengaged without affecting the hinge's attachment to the enclosure body. This extraction allows door removal while preserving the hinge's permanent connections and associated seals.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener is designed with specific local features: a distal end configured to engage with the circumferential groove on the pin. This localized engagement point provides the necessary attachment function without requiring the fastener to be permanently integrated into the hinge structure. The local quality of the groove-fastener interface enables reversible attachment while maintaining the integrity of the overall hinge system and its seals.
3Strength
If the hinge structure is permanently attached to the door, then strong attachment is achieved, but the door cannot be easily removed for shipment or component installation
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge system transitions from a static, permanently attached configuration to a dynamic system where the fastener can be engaged or disengaged. The fastener's distal end engages with the circumferential groove on the pin to provide strong attachment when needed, but can be independently removed to allow door detachment. This dynamic capability enables the hinge to adapt between providing strong permanent-like attachment and allowing easy door removal for shipment or component installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener serves multiple functions: it secures the door to the enclosure body through engagement with the pin's circumferential groove, maintains attachment strength during operation, and enables easy door removal when disengaged. The circumferential groove design allows the fastener to provide both strong attachment and reversible connection, making the hinge system universally applicable to both permanent and temporary attachment requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge is provided for hingedly connecting an enclosure door to an enclosure body. The hinge can include a set of hinge leafs, which can include a first leaf and a second leaf, a pin, and a fastener. The pin can extend from the first leaf and can be removably receivable within a pocket in the second leaf. The pin can have a groove extending inward from and around the periphery of the pin and positioned between the proximal pin end and the distal pin end. The fastener can extend into the pocket and at least partially into the groove when the hinge is in a locked configuration, inhibiting the separation of the first and second leafs, and removed from the groove when the hinge is in an unlocked configuration allowing the separation of the first and second leafs.