Wall Box Mounting Clamp Rotation for Secure Wall Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical wall boxes often experience dislodgment of clamps due to free-floating terminal ends of screws, leading to incomplete clamping action when mounting to the wall.
Innovation Solution
A mounting mechanism featuring clamps with fins and drums that rotate into channels, ensuring secure attachment by aligning the fin with the wall and preventing the drum from exiting, using screws with heads that drive the clamp into position, thereby maintaining alignment and securing the wall box.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If terminal ends of screws are free-floating, then the mounting mechanism allows for easy assembly and disassembly, but the clamps can become dislodged from the wall box and get stuck before completing the clamping action
Solution Approach 1:
A channel structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the screw terminal end and the clamp. The channel guides the terminal end along a controlled path, ensuring the clamp remains properly positioned on the wall box during the tightening process. This mediator prevents the clamp from becoming dislodged while still allowing for straightforward assembly and disassembly operations.
2Reliability
If the clamp is designed to rotate from pocket into channel position, then secure mounting to wall is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to rotate from a retracted pocket position to an engaged channel position. This dynamic movement enables the clamp to transition from a compact storage state to a secure mounting state. The rotation mechanism provides reliable wall mounting while maintaining relatively simple construction through the use of basic rotational joints and geometric constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, such as an electrical device or a wall box, may have a mounting mechanism that may be configured to mount the apparatus to a wall in a manner that may facilitate secure fastening to the wall. The apparatus may comprise at least one mounting clamp that may have a fin and a drum that receives a mounting screw. The fin of the mounting clamp may be configured to be located within a pocket formed in the body. When a mounting screw is driven, the mounting clamp may rotate from the pocket into a position in which the drum of the mounting clamp may be received in a channel formed in the body. The drum may be configured to move through the channel as the mounting screw is further driven. The gap may be sized to retain the mounting clamp within the channel as the drum moves therethrough.