Angled Snap-Fit Bracket for Camera Housing Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera housing brackets for vehicle windshields lack a mechanism to ensure proper centering and secure snap-fit connection, leading to potential improper installation and instability of the camera housing.
Innovation Solution
A bracket with centering members on one end and locking members on the other, where the locking members extend at an angle less than 90° from the central axis, forming a snap-fit connection with the camera housing to ensure proper alignment and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If locking members extend perpendicular to the central axis (conventional design), then the camera housing can be snapped into the bracket without first being centered, but the installation may be improper and the camera housing may become unstable under vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The centering members are designed to perform the centering action first, before the locking members engage. The bracket includes centering members that extend beyond the locking members in the direction of insertion, forcing the camera housing to be properly centered before the snap-fit connection is made. This preliminary centering action ensures proper alignment and stability while maintaining ease of installation.
2Device complexity
If locking members extend perpendicular to the central axis, then the structure is simple, but the camera housing cannot be properly centered during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket's locking mechanism is segmented into two distinct functional components: centering members and locking members. The centering members are positioned to engage first and establish proper alignment, while the locking members engage second to secure the connection. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering members extend beyond the locking members in the insertion direction, performing the alignment action before the locking action occurs. This ensures that the camera housing is properly centered during installation, achieving manufacturing precision without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Reliability
If locking members extend at an angle less than 90° from the central axis, then proper centering and secure snap-fit connection are achieved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are configured at an angle less than 90° from the central axis of the bracket, creating an asymmetric geometry that provides both centering and locking functionality. This asymmetric angle allows the locking members to engage the camera housing in a way that simultaneously achieves proper alignment and secure attachment, resolving the technical contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for securing a camera housing (100) having a central axis (102) to a windshield (22) includes a bracket (20). The bracket (20) has a central axis (30) and extends from a first end (32) to a second end (34). A plurality of centering members (72) on the first end (32) of the bracket (20) is configured to engage the camera housing (100) to align the central axis (102) with the central axis (30). A plurality of locking members (90, 91) on the second end (34) of the bracket (20) is configured to form a snap-fit connection with the camera housing (100) to fasten the bracket (20) to the camera housing (100). The locking members (90, 91) are positioned on opposite sides of the central axis (30) of the bracket (20) with at least one locking member (90, 91) extending at an angle less than 90° to the central axis (30).