Captive Anchoring Assembly for Hygienic Fencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional anchoring solutions for industrial enclosures are inefficient for rapid assembly and disassembly, prone to accidental detachment, and poorly adapted for hygienic environments like the food sector, where bacterial contamination and dirt accumulation are concerns.
Innovation Solution
A captive anchoring assembly featuring a pin with elastic tabs and a clamp system that securely attaches laminar screens to posts, allowing easy assembly and disassembly only with a tool, while minimizing contact surfaces for enhanced hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional anchoring elements are used, then the assembly process requires multiple steps and tools, but the installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple anchoring functions into a single integrated element that simultaneously performs attachment, locking, and tool-requirement functions. The anchoring element integrates a head portion, body portion, and elastic member into one component that can be installed in a single operation, eliminating the need for separate anchoring and locking steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member automatically engages with the opening in the post to lock the anchoring element in place without requiring additional tools or steps. The element self-locks through the elastic engagement mechanism, eliminating the need for separate locking operations and reducing installation time.
2Reliability
If conventional anchoring elements are used, then assembly can be performed without tools, but the risk of accidental detachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a tool requirement feature that prevents accidental detachment by design. The anchoring element is configured to require a tool for both installation and removal, creating a preliminary barrier against unintended disassembly. This anti-action is built into the structure through the specific geometry of the head portion and its interaction with the post opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member is pre-configured to engage with the post opening in a controlled manner that ensures secure attachment. The preliminary design of the elastic engagement mechanism ensures that once installed, the element maintains a locked state that prevents accidental detachment without requiring additional locking steps.
3Reliability
If conventional anchoring elements are used, then assembly is simple, but the components can accidentally detach or be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure where the elastic member is contained within the body portion, and the head portion integrates with both. This nesting ensures that all components remain captive to each other during installation and use, preventing loss of individual elements while maintaining a compact overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring element merges multiple functions into a single integrated component structure. The head portion, body portion, and elastic member work together as one unified element that performs attachment, locking, and tool-requirement functions simultaneously, reducing the number of separate components that could potentially detach or be lost.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional anchoring elements are used, then the design is simple, but the contact surfaces are large and difficult to clean in food sector applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by minimizing contact surfaces in specific critical areas where contamination risk is highest. The anchoring element is designed with reduced contact areas between components, particularly at the interface with the post and the screen, making these areas easier to clean and less prone to bacterial accumulation in food sector applications.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing large contact surfaces for structural strength and inverting to small surfaces, the patent directly designs minimal contact surfaces that achieve both structural integrity and hygiene requirements. The inverted approach reduces contact areas by design rather than by modification, facilitating easier cleaning while maintaining structural function.
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 anchoring assembly facilitates rapid and secure assembly of enclosures, reduces the risk of component loss, and meets stringent hygiene standards by minimizing contact areas and allowing easy cleaning, making it suitable for the food sector.
Implementation Method 1
a pin with elastic tabs
Data Source
AI summary
An anchoring assembly for enclosures that includes at least one laminar screen, which has at least one rigid wire, and at least one post, for supporting the screen with vertical orientation. The assembly has at least one pin provided with a head and with a shank, the shank being configured to be inserted into a hole in the post. The assembly further includes at least one clamp that has a recess configured to receive the shank with interference. The rigid wire can be clamped in the clamp. The assembly also includes at least one at least partially threaded stem, which can be screwed into a female thread which is provided inside the pin, with consequent mutual tightening of the clamp.