Tool-Free Actuator Bracket with Reversible Mounting for Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
The maintenance of actuatable components, such as valves in industrial and HVAC systems, often requires cumbersome tool-based mounting and dismounting processes, which are time-consuming and challenging due to their location in tight, poorly illuminated spaces.
Innovation Solution
The development of actuator mounting assemblies featuring brackets with securement features like tabs and slots that form interference connections with actuator housings, allowing for easy attachment and detachment without tools, and reversible designs for adaptable mounting orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional tool-based mounting and dismounting methods are used for actuators, then secure mechanical coupling is achieved, but technician time and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is segmented into distinct functional features: tabs for engagement, slots for alignment, and interference connection elements. This segmentation allows each feature to perform its specific function independently, enabling tool-free assembly while maintaining secure coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket incorporates self-aligning and self-securing features where the tabs automatically engage with corresponding slots and the interference connections form secure mechanical couplings without requiring external tools or assistance. The design enables the system to mount and dismount itself through simple manual manipulation.
2Ease of operation
If traditional mounting brackets are used in tight spaces, then mechanical coupling is achieved, but accessibility and installation difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket incorporates flexible or resilient tabs that can deflect during installation and then snap into place, providing dynamic adaptation to slight misalignments and enabling installation in confined spaces where precise alignment is difficult. This dynamic behavior reduces installation complexity despite spatial constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The interference connection features act as intermediaries between the bracket and actuator housing, providing a simple mechanical interface that requires minimal clearance and can be installed in tight spaces without complex alignment procedures or specialized tools.
3Adaptability or versatility
If secure mechanical coupling is achieved through traditional methods, then connection strength is ensured, but mounting orientation flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket features asymmetric tab and slot configurations that provide secure mechanical coupling in multiple orientations. The interference connections are designed to engage reliably regardless of mounting direction, enabling flexible installation while maintaining connection strength through the asymmetric geometry of the engagement features.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket design incorporates universal engagement features that can accommodate different mounting orientations and configurations. The tabs and slots are designed to work effectively in various positions, and the interference connections provide consistent mechanical coupling strength regardless of orientation, making the bracket adaptable to multiple installation scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket configured to mechanically couple an actuator an accessory component. The bracket may be mounted relative to the accessory component, and the bracket may allow the actuator to be mounted without the use of tools. The bracket may also allow the actuator to be mounted in each of two or more orientations such that the actuator is able to drive the accessory component in each of two directions, depending on the mounting orientation.