Telecom Chassis Door Hinge With Dual Pivot Points
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-density fiber optic equipment requires advanced structures for organizing and managing numerous optical fibers, and existing drawer-based systems lack efficient access mechanisms, limiting their functionality.
Innovation Solution
A telecommunications chassis with a door assembly featuring a unique hinge structure that allows independent pivotal motion of the door and hinge, enabling the door to pivot freely and position below the chassis when fully open, facilitating access to densely packed fiber optic equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional fixed hinge structure is used to attach the door to the chassis, then the door can pivot open, but the door obstructs the extension path of sliding trays when fully open
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge structure is transformed from a fixed attachment to a dynamic system with two independent pivot points. The first pivot allows the door to rotate relative to the hinge structure, while the second pivot allows the entire hinge structure to rotate relative to the chassis. This dynamic configuration enables the door to achieve a fully downward position that clears the tray extension path.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge connection is segmented into two independent rotational degrees of freedom: door-to-hinge rotation and hinge-to-chassis rotation. This segmentation allows each pivot to independently control a portion of the door's motion, enabling the door to clear obstacles during opening and achieve complete clearance when fully open.
2Ease of operation
If the door is designed to open wide for access, then equipment accessibility is improved, but the door interferes with sliding tray extension
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-pivot hinge creates a dynamic opening sequence where the door can first rotate on its own pivot and then the hinge structure rotates on its second pivot. This allows the door to achieve complete clearance (90+ degrees effective opening) without interfering with the horizontal extension path of sliding trays.
Solution Approach 2:
The door opening motion is moved from a purely horizontal arc (which would conflict with tray extension) to a vertical dimension. The door pivots downward below the chassis horizontal plane, clearing the tray extension path while maintaining full accessibility to equipment.
3Device complexity
If a simple single-pivot hinge is used, then the structure is simpler, but the door cannot position below the chassis plane to clear tray paths
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge structure incorporates two independent rotational degrees of freedom: the first pivot enables door rotation relative to the hinge structure, and the second pivot enables hinge structure rotation relative to the chassis. This dynamic configuration allows the door to achieve a fully downward position below the chassis horizontal plane, clearing the tray extension path.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge connection is segmented into two independent rotational joints rather than a single fixed pivot. This segmentation allows each joint to independently control a portion of the door's motion, enabling the complex trajectory needed to clear obstacles during opening and achieve complete clearance when fully open.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge assembly for pivotally coupling a door to a telecommunications chassis includes a hinge structure configured to attach the door to the telecommunications chassis, the hinge structure defining a door pivot point and a hinge pivot point that is spaced from the door pivot point, wherein a door coupled by the hinge structure to the telecommunications chassis can pivot with respect to the hinge structure independent of a pivoting motion of the hinge structure with respect to the telecommunications chassis, wherein the hinge structure further defines at least a portion of a pivot limiting structure spaced from the hinge pivot point, the portion of the pivot limiting structure defined by the hinge structure being configured to interact with the telecommunications chassis in limiting the pivoting motion of the hinge structure.