Asymmetric Buckle Assembly Corner Design for Secure Snap-Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional buckle assemblies experience loose engagement and inconvenient disengagement due to design flaws, such as a gap between the male and female buckle pieces and potential interference, resulting from the width mismatch between the slot-defining wall and the L-shaped tongue.
Innovation Solution
A buckle assembly design featuring a female buckle plate with slotted end portions defined by opposing wall faces creating different height corners, and a male buckle plate with a pivotable bent end portion that rotates between engaging and disengaging positions, ensuring a snap-fit engagement and easy disengagement by adjusting the position of the lower corner relative to the reference plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the width of the insertion slot is increased to accommodate the L-shaped tongue and protrusion, then insertion is permitted, but engagement becomes loose due to gap formation
Solution Approach 1:
The slot-defining wall is designed with asymmetric corner heights where the first corner extends higher than the second corner. The L-shaped tongue is configured with corresponding asymmetric segments where the first segment has a greater width than the second segment. This asymmetry allows the first segment to engage tightly with the higher first corner while the second segment engages with the lower second corner, eliminating gaps and ensuring secure engagement without requiring excessive slot width.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the engagement interface are designed with different geometric properties. The first corner region features a higher elevation to accommodate the wider first segment of the L-shaped tongue, while the second corner region has a lower elevation for the narrower second segment. This local variation in geometric quality ensures optimal fit and engagement tightness at each specific location along the insertion interface.
2Reliability
If the protrusion is added to the L-shaped tongue for engagement, then connection is achieved, but disengagement becomes inconvenient due to potential interference with the slot-defining wall
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric corner design creates a one-way engagement mechanism. The first corner's higher elevation allows the protrusion to engage securely during insertion, while the asymmetric geometry ensures that during disengagement, the protrusion naturally follows the lower path created by the second corner's lower elevation, preventing interference and enabling smooth release without requiring excessive force or complex disengagement motions.
3Length of moving object
If the first segment width is reduced below the insertion slot width to permit insertion, then insertion is enabled, but a gap forms between the first segment and slot-defining wall
Solution Approach 1:
The first segment is designed with a width that is intentionally greater than the second segment width, creating an asymmetric L-shaped tongue. The first corner of the slot-defining wall is positioned at a higher elevation than the second corner. This asymmetric configuration allows the wider first segment to fully engage with the higher first corner, eliminating gaps and ensuring tight engagement, while the narrower second segment engages with the lower second corner to complete the secure connection.
Data Source
AI summary
A buckle assembly includes female and male buckle plates. The female buckle plate is formed with an insertion slot defined by a slot-defining wall having first and second wall faces, and has first and second corners. The first and second corners oppose each other, and are different in height with respect to a reference plane. The male buckle plate has a bent end portion that has upper and lower segments and a middle segment cooperating with the upper and lower segments to define upper and lower corners. The bent end portion is pivotable to the first corner by abutting the upper corner against the first corner, such that the bent end portion is rotatable relative to the first corner.