Transparent Mounting Device for Plumbing and Electrical Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for mounting plumbing or electrical equipment to surfaces, such as walls or ceilings, are time-consuming and inefficient due to the need for precise hole formation and alignment, often resulting in inaccuracies and the inability to reuse pre-formed fixing holes.
Innovation Solution
A mounting device with a visually transparent fixing region and pre-formed openings that allow users to locate and reuse existing fixing points, eliminating the need for hole formation and enabling precise alignment and efficient installation of equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional hole-forming equipment is used to create fixing holes, then holes can be formed in the surface, but the equipment often 'wanders' and the holes are not precisely in the planned location
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device incorporates pre-formed openings at predetermined locations that correspond to fixing points. These openings are prepared in advance during manufacturing, eliminating the need for on-site hole formation and precise measurement during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting device acts as an intermediary between the equipment and the surface. It provides pre-formed openings that guide fixing means to the correct locations, eliminating the need for direct hole formation in the surface and ensuring precise alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If fixing holes are formed at specific locations relative to pipework or joists, then proper alignment is achieved, but it is not always possible to form holes at the ideal locations
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device provides multiple pre-formed openings at different predetermined locations, allowing it to adapt to various fixing scenarios. The device can be positioned to align different openings with different fixing points on the surface, accommodating pipework, joists, or other structural features.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting device allows for flexible positioning and orientation to align its pre-formed openings with various fixing points on the surface. The device can be adjusted during installation to match different structural features such as pipework or joist locations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If pre-formed openings are provided at multiple predetermined locations, then the device can accommodate various equipment configurations and reuse existing fixing holes, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device is divided into distinct functional regions: a fixing region with multiple pre-formed openings for different fixing configurations, and an engagement region for securing the equipment. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently for its specific function.
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting device for mounting plumbing or electrical equipment to a surface is disclosed. The device has a substantially planar body, comprising an engagement arrangement, for engagement with the equipment to be mounted to the mounting device; an opening for allowing passage of an electrical wire and/or a pipe through the plane of the body; alignment means arranged to allow a user to identify a correct location of the opening relative to pipework or cabling fixed to, or protruding from, the surface; and a substantially visually transparent fixing region configured to allow a user to identify a fixing point on the surface while looking through the fixing region, and to locate fixing means in the surface at the fixing point, through the fixing region, to fix the mounting device to the surface.