Arrowhead Fastener Clip Barbs for Self-Aligning Panel Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners face issues with unequal insertion and extraction forces, misalignment, wing breakage, and inability to self-align with varying sheet metal thicknesses and environmental conditions, leading to noise, wear, and detachment.
Innovation Solution
A fastener clip assembly with barbs and projections that dig into the blade for added stability, self-aligning features, and independent insertion forces, ensuring secure attachment even with misalignment and varying conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional single piece fasteners are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the fastener is prone to wing breakage when misaligned and cannot self-align with varying slot sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into multiple segments: a body portion with wings and a separate blade portion. This segmentation allows the wings to engage the slot independently while the blade provides additional anchoring, preventing wing breakage even when misalignment occurs during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener incorporates resilient arms that can deflect and change their mechanical parameters (position, force) to accommodate variations in slot size and position. This allows the fastener to self-align with varying slot dimensions without requiring precise manufacturing tolerances.
2Force
If conventional fasteners are used, then insertion force is achieved, but extraction force is unequal and panels can detach over time
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener design creates asymmetric engagement: the wings engage the slot edges while the blade engages the slot bottom. This asymmetric configuration provides unequal extraction forces that prevent panel detachment, as removing the panel requires overcoming both the wing engagement and blade anchoring simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arms are designed with curved geometry that allows them to deflect elastically during insertion and extraction. This curvature enables the arms to maintain continuous contact with the slot walls, providing stable attachment security while accommodating insertion force variations.
3Ease of operation
If conventional fasteners are used, then initial attachment is achieved, but the fastener cannot accommodate production tolerances and environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient arms provide dynamic adaptation to production tolerances and environmental conditions. The arms can deflect and adjust their position to accommodate variations in slot size, position, and sheet metal thickness, maintaining secure attachment despite manufacturing variations and environmental changes during vehicle operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system including a fastener clip (100), the fastener clip including one or more pairs of laterally offset legs (60) joined at a head portion (70). The legs form a clip opening at an opposite end of the head portion. The fastener clip also includes a pair of arms (90) coupled to the head portion, the arms being configured to move substantially independently from the pair of legs. The fastener clip also includes a pair of projections (700) each attached at the ends of each of the arms. The projections are configured to engage an opening of a blade (210) over which the fastener clip is configured to be coupled to the blade at least based upon the fastener clip being placed over the blade.