Attachment Device With Bending Tabs For Secure Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current attachment devices have a low holding force and lack clear indication of the ideal working position, leading to increased risk of detachment during assembly, due to a low interference surface both before and after screwing.
Innovation Solution
An attachment device with a nut element, flange element, and tabs that bend inwardly during screwing, increasing the interference surface and providing a clear indication of correct assembly through noise and enhanced retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the attachment device uses a conventional structure with low interference surface, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of the attachment device decreases due to increased risk of detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device is segmented into a nut element, flange element, and multiple tabs connecting them. This segmentation allows the tabs to independently bend and increase the interference surface area, improving retention while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tabs are designed to bend in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial screwing motion. This dimensional change transforms the interference surface from a static small area to a dynamic expanded area, increasing contact with the bench in a radial dimension while the screwing proceeds axially.
2Reliability
If the attachment device has a low interference surface before screwing, then the ease of operation is improved for insertion, but the reliability decreases due to higher risk of detachment during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The tabs are designed as flexible elements that dynamically change shape during the assembly process. Before screwing, they maintain a configuration that facilitates insertion, then bend radially during screwing to maximize interference surface and retention, adapting to different stages of assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The interference surface area parameter changes dynamically during assembly. The tabs start with a smaller effective interference surface for easy insertion, then transform to provide a larger interference surface during screwing, changing the geometric parameters to match assembly requirements at different stages.
3Loss of information
If the attachment device lacks clear indication of working position, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of information increases as the operator cannot know when correct assembly is reached
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device provides self-indication through the noise generated by the tabs bending against the bench during screwing. This acoustic feedback serves as a built-in indication mechanism that requires no additional components, allowing the operator to know when correct assembly is reached through the characteristic sound.
Solution Approach 2:
The bending of the tabs against the bench surface generates mechanical vibrations and acoustic noise that serve as feedback to the operator. This vibration-based indication system provides clear information about assembly status without adding complex electronic or mechanical indication devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The increased interference surface minimizes detachment risk and ensures secure assembly, with the attachment device maintaining higher retention even after screwing, accommodating various weights and tolerances.
Implementation Method 1
each tab comprises a first projection inwards the attachment device and a second projection outwards the attachment device... when the nut element is moved axially towards the flange element the tabs bend inwardly
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an improved attachment device with an increased interference surface that provides a lower risk of the attachment device detachment and a greater retention of the elements that this attachment device fixes. The present invention also relates to an assembly of an attachment device fixed to a bench.