Clip With Elastic Engaging Legs for Reduced Insertion Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clips require complex manufacturing processes and high-impact materials due to their design, leading to high costs and stress during insertion and removal, necessitating a simplified design that can be manufactured without a sliding core mold and using general POM material.
Innovation Solution
The clip design features a base with an engaging section and insertion section, including an elastic engaging leg, beam, and pair of engaging members that deform inwardly to reduce insertion force and stress, allowing for general POM material usage and simplified tooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If elastic engagement legs with enlarged portions are used to reduce insertion force, then inserting force is suppressed, but a complex sliding core mold is required and high impact grade material is needed, increasing manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging section is divided into multiple independent elastic engagement legs (first, second, and third legs) that can deform independently. Each leg has simplified geometry without complex enlarged portions, yet collectively they provide the necessary engagement and force reduction through individual elastic deformation against the hole sidewall.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement legs are designed to dynamically deform during insertion and removal operations. The legs elastically bend inward during insertion to reduce inserting force and then return to their original position to provide engagement, eliminating the need for complex static enlarged portions in the mold design.
2Force
If elastic engagement legs with enlarged portions are used to reduce insertion force, then inserting force is suppressed, but high impact grade material such as POM is required, increasing material cost
Solution Approach 1:
The design changes the geometric parameters of the engagement legs to achieve force reduction through elastic deformation rather than relying on material properties. By optimizing the leg dimensions, thickness, and arrangement, general POM material suffices without requiring high impact grade variants, reducing material cost.
3Force
If conventional engagement leg design is used, then insertion force is reduced, but stress during removal is high, necessitating high impact material
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the engagement legs have optimized local geometries to balance insertion and removal stresses. The legs have varying thicknesses and cross-sections along their length, with thicker sections at critical stress points and thinner sections where flexibility is needed, allowing stress distribution that protects against high removal stresses using general POM material.
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
This design enables the clip to be manufactured with reduced tooling complexity and material costs, using general POM material, while minimizing stress during insertion and removal, thus lowering production costs and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
an engaging leg extending from the base, and having elasticity to move inwardly toward a center axis of the engaging section
Implementation Method 2
The beam simultaneously deforms in which one end of the beam on the side connected to the insertion section deforms away from the inserting direction of the clip and the other end of the beam on the side connected to the engaging leg deforms towards the inserting direction of the clip
Data Source
AI summary
A clip adapted to be connected to a connected member with a hole includes a base, an engaging section extending from the base, and an insertion section fixed to the engaging section at a side opposite to the base and adapted to be inserted into the hole of the connected member. The engaging section includes an engaging leg extending from the base, and having a first enlarged portion adapted to engage the hole of the connected member, and a beam formed near the insertion section to extend inwardly toward the center axis and connected to the insertion section, and a pair of engaging members extending from the base along the engaging leg and disposed perpendicular to the engaging leg so that the engaging leg is disposed between the pair of engaging members along a circumferential direction of the engaging section.