Captured Fastener Sleeve Assembly for Thin-Component Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fastening techniques for automotive components are inefficient and costly due to the need for spot-welding or crimping metal strips to accommodate longer fasteners, requiring specialized tools and increasing manufacturing time and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A pre-captured fastener system that includes a sleeve with flanges and a collar, along with a retainer, which securely couples the fastener to a component, providing compression limiting and allowing for easier assembly and reduced inventory management, while eliminating the need for additional spacers and specialized tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal strips are spot-welded or crimped to accommodate longer fasteners, then the fastening capability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is nested within the sleeve structure, with the retainer positioned inside the hollow cylindrical body of the sleeve. This nesting arrangement allows the fastening system to accommodate longer fasteners while avoiding the need for separate metal strips or spacers, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining fastening capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of the sleeve and retainer into a single integrated assembly that is pre-captured together. The sleeve provides structural support and positioning, while the retainer secures the fastener, combining multiple functions into one component system that eliminates the need for additional metal strips or crimping operations.
2Reliability
If specialized tools are used to secure fasteners, then the fastening reliability is improved, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is pre-captured to the sleeve before the fastening operation, with the retainer already positioned and secured within the sleeve structure. This preliminary action ensures that the fastener will be reliably retained without requiring specialized tools during assembly, as the pre-captured configuration provides inherent fastening reliability that simplifies the installation process.
3Length of moving object
If metal spacers are added to thicken clamped joints, then the fastener accommodation is improved, but the inventory management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the functions of the sleeve, retainer, and any necessary spacing or thickening features into a single pre-captured assembly. The hollow cylindrical sleeve structure provides the necessary joint thickness accommodation without requiring separate metal spacers, thereby simplifying inventory management while maintaining the ability to accommodate various fastener lengths.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a retainer assembly to securely couple a fastener to a component, the retainer assembly having a sleeve and a retainer. The sleeve includes a tube, a first flange, a second flange and a collar. The sleeve defines a central passage having a central longitudinal axis. The first flange and the second flange are separated by a tube. The collar includes one or more external ribbed features formed in or on an exterior surface of the collar and configured to press into and retain in the component. The collar is configured to reside within the opening and to provide compression limiting to the component. The retainer is positioned within the central passage and is securely positioned between an interior surface of the sleeve and an outer surface of the fastener.