Evaporative Canister Quick-Connect Clip for Easy Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clips for evaporative emissions canisters are difficult to disassemble without damage, often require multiple clips for redundancy, and involve complex fabrication processes.
Innovation Solution
A quick-connect clip assembly with a flexible, arcuate body and interlocking snaps that allows easy assembly and disassembly, featuring a housing with guide posts and finger grips for secure connection and disconnection of male connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional clips are used to mate female inlet with male connector, then the connection is secure, but disassembly is difficult or impossible without damaging the clip or mated parts
Solution Approach 1:
The clip incorporates a resilient body that can dynamically change its engagement state. The biased condition of the resilient body allows it to naturally return to a disengaged state when force is applied to the release feature, enabling easy disassembly while maintaining secure connection during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
The release feature acts as an intermediary mechanism that triggers the transition from engaged to disengaged state. By providing a dedicated interface for user interaction, it enables controlled disassembly without requiring damage to the clip or mated parts
2Reliability
If multiple clips are used for safety redundancy or retention load requirements, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple retention functions are merged into a single integrated clip design. The resilient body with its biased condition and release feature provides both secure engagement and controlled disengagement capabilities in one component, eliminating the need for multiple separate clips
Solution Approach 2:
The single clip performs multiple functions: providing retention load, enabling easy release, and ensuring connection security. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized clips
3Ease of operation
If quick-connect functionality is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to complex molding processes
Solution Approach 1:
The clip is designed as a separable assembly with distinct functional elements: the resilient body and the release feature. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual components that can be assembled together, reducing the complexity of the overall molding process
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
Enables quick and easy servicing of evaporative emissions canister components by allowing easy connection and disconnection without damage, reducing the need for multiple clips and simplifying the fabrication process.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient body having an inner surface and an outer surface. The resilient body extends from a first terminal end to a second terminal end
Data Source
AI summary
A quick-connect clip assembly for an evaporative emissions canister is provided. The assembly includes a quick-connector clip and a housing. The quick-connector clip includes a flexible, arcuate body, a pair of guide posts extending from the body, a pair of finger grips adjacent terminal ends of the body, and a pair of interlocking snaps extending inwardly from the finger grips. The housing includes a tubular wall having an open end, a first pair of arcuate slots adjacent the open end and extending radially along a same circumference of the wall, and a second pair of arcuate slots extending radially along the said same circumference. The body is disposed within the housing, the finger grips extend through the first pair of slots, the guide posts extend through the second pair of slots, and the snaps are disposed outside the wall. An evaporative emissions canister including the clip assembly is also provided.