Twist-Lock Back Plate Assembly for Home Hardware to Reduce Tool Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home hardware back plate assemblies require complex tool designs with multiple moving parts, leading to tool wear and increased costs, and have large profiles that occupy additional shelf space in retail environments.
Innovation Solution
The development of twist-lock, slide-lock, and wedge-lock back plate assemblies with simplified designs featuring mount apertures, grooves, ledges, and flexible tabs that allow for secure attachment and decorative cover integration, reducing tool complexity and profile size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex tool designs with several moving parts are used, then secure mounting is achieved, but tool wear increases and tool life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the moving parts from the mounting mechanism and replaces them with a simple push-button attachment system. The attachment member is inserted through the base and secured by friction fit and geometric interlocking, eliminating complex moving parts while maintaining secure mounting reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment member features self-aligning geometric shapes (rounded ends matching rounded openings) that automatically guide proper orientation during insertion. The spring-loaded button provides self-adjusting friction fit, eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms and reducing tool wear during installation.
2Reliability
If complex tool designs with several moving parts are used, then secure mounting is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes complex moving parts from the design, replacing them with simple friction-fit and geometric interlocking mechanisms. This simplification directly reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining secure mounting through the spring-loaded button and rounded geometric features.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment member combines multiple functions into a single component: structural support, alignment guidance through rounded ends, and secure fastening via friction fit with the spring-loaded button. This consolidation reduces part count and manufacturing complexity while achieving reliable mounting.
3Shape
If covers with large surface areas and profiles are used, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but additional shelf space is required in retail environment
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative cover is designed to nest within the base assembly, with the attachment member passing through the base and positioning the cover in a compact configuration. This nested arrangement maintains aesthetic appearance while minimizing the overall profile and shelf space requirements for retail display.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a two-dimensional large surface area cover to a three-dimensional nested configuration where the cover integrates with the base depth. This dimensional reorganization maintains visual appeal while reducing the footprint required for retail shelf placement.
Data Source
AI summary
A back plate assembly for home hardware is provided with a base and an attachment. The base includes at least one mount aperture and is adapted to be mounted to a support surface. The base defines a receptacle, a through-hole, a pair of grooves disposed at an outer edge of the through-hole, and a pair of ledges offset from an inner edge of the through-hole. The attachment includes a lock member with a pair of lock features and a connector member sized for insertion between the pair of ledges when the attachment is oriented in a first radial position. Each of the pair of lock features is positioned on the attachment for insertion within one of the grooves and the connector member is sized to rest upon the ledges when the connector member extends through the through-hole and the attachment is rotated to a second radial position.