Clamping-Wing Fastener for Quiet Air Handling Unit Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening systems for air handling units fail to reliably prevent vibration-related noise and ensure secure attachment of panels, as the connection between panels and removable lids is insufficient, leading to potential loosening of screws.
Innovation Solution
A fastening system featuring a bushing with clamping wings that are forced into an outward orientation by a plug, providing a strong and tight connection between panels and bushings, ensuring secure retention and reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If self-drilling screws are used with plastic bushings and removable lids, then the panel assembly can be easily manufactured and disassembled, but the connection is insufficient to prevent vibration-related noise and screw loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is divided into separate functional components: a bushing for screw retention, a plug for vibration damping and noise reduction, and a removable lid for aesthetic purposes. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug acts as an intermediary element between the screw and the bushing, providing vibration damping and preventing direct metal-to-plastic contact that could lead to loosening. This intermediary component enhances the reliability of the connection without compromising the ease of manufacture.
2Ease of operation
If removable lids are used on bushings, then aesthetic appearance and easy maintenance are improved, but the connection strength is reduced allowing easy removal and potential noise
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system separates the aesthetic/removable function (lid) from the structural/retention function (bushing and plug). The lid can be easily removed for maintenance while the plug remains secured within the bushing, maintaining connection strength independently of the lid's attachment status.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is nested within the bushing, creating a layered structure where the inner plug provides vibration damping and the outer bushing provides screw retention. This nested configuration allows the removable lid to be attached to the bushing without compromising the underlying structural integrity provided by the plug-bushing assembly.
3Device complexity
If simple fasteners are used to secure panels, then device complexity is reduced, but vibration-related noise and panel loosening increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plug serves as a mediator between the screw and the surrounding structure, absorbing vibrations and preventing noise transmission. This intermediary component addresses the harmful vibration-related noise without significantly increasing the overall device complexity, as it integrates seamlessly into the existing bushing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system employs composite construction with the plug made from vibration-damping material housed within the plastic bushing. This composite approach effectively reduces vibration-related noise while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure that does not significantly increase complexity.
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 system effectively secures panels, reducing vibration-related noise and preventing accidental removal of screws, thereby enhancing the structural integrity and operational silence of air handling units.
Implementation Method 1
The bushing further comprises a clamping wing, elastically deformable, configured to be forced into an outward orientation by said plug
Data Source
AI summary
This fastening system (89), comprises a bushing (27), comprising a main body (33), having an essentially cylindrical shape which defines a main axis (X27) of said bushing, an external collar (39), provided at a proximal axial end (37) of the main body (33), a bore (49), provided through the external collar and the main body, along the main axis, and at least one clamping wing (53), which is provided within a lateral aperture (55) of the main body and is elastically orientable between an outward orientation and an inward orientation relative to the main body, the fastening system comprising a plug (29), which is shaped to be inserted, at least partially, into the bore along the main axis through the external collar, wherein the plug (29) is shaped to force the clamping wing (53) into the outward orientation when said plug is inserted in the bore (49).