Buckling Washer Locking Structure for Accurate Screw Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washers fail to securely fix objects in place, leading to incorrect assembly and slanted screw engagement.
Innovation Solution
A locking structure comprising a stud sleeve, a buckling washer with a carrying portion and hook portions, and a screw, where the buckling washer carries the object and retains it using hook portions, preventing slanted screw engagement by limiting movement along specific directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional washer is used to fix an object, then the assembly process is simple, but the screw becomes slantingly engaged and cannot be assembled correctly
Solution Approach 1:
The washer is segmented into multiple functional portions: a carrying portion for supporting the object, and multiple hook portions extending from the carrying portion. These hook portions engage with corresponding hooks on the object, creating multiple constraint points that guide the screw into proper alignment while maintaining simple assembly procedures.
2Device complexity
If a conventional washer is used, then the structure is simple, but the object cannot be securely fixed in position
Solution Approach 1:
The hook portions are designed to be flexible and elastic, allowing them to dynamically adapt during assembly. The elastic material enables the hook portions to flex during screw insertion and then maintain a secure locked position, providing reliable object fixation while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The washer incorporates flexible elastic material for the hook portions, which can bend and deform to accommodate assembly variations. This flexibility allows the hook portions to engage securely with the object's hooks and maintain a locked position, significantly improving fixation reliability without requiring a complex rigid structure.
3Reliability
If the buckling washer with hook portions is used, then the object can be securely retained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buckling washer serves multiple functions simultaneously: it carries the object on its carrying portion, retains the object through engaging hook portions, guides screw alignment, and provides a locked position. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single component, the structure achieves high reliability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking structure and a buckling washer are provided. The locking structure is provided for locking an object having a thru-hole. The locking structure includes a stud sleeve, a buckling washer, and a screw. The buckling washer is disposed on the stud sleeve, and the buckling washer includes a carrying portion and a plurality of hook portions. The carrying portion has a penetrating hole, and the hook portions extend from the carrying portion and are arranged outside of the penetrating hole. The carrying portion of the buckling washer is configured to carry the object, and the hook portions are configured to retain the object. The screw is configured to be screwed in the stud sleeve by passing through the thru-hole of the object and the penetrating hole of the buckling washer, such that the object is locked by the hook portions.