Clip Fastener Assembly Geometry to Prevent Bulk Intertwining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Snap-fit fasteners packaged in bulk tend to intertwine easily, making them difficult to separate quickly, leading to unnecessary scrap and increased production costs as operators often discard intertwined fasteners rather than attempting to separate them.
Innovation Solution
The design of the fastener includes a clip configuration where one branch's distal portion contacts the other clip's tongue, creating an opposing force that reduces the likelihood of intertwining, facilitating easier separation and entry into a container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If operators discard entangled fasteners, then assembly rate is maintained, but production costs increase due to waste
Solution Approach 1:
By preemptively preventing entanglement through the specialized distal end geometry, the patent ensures that fasteners remain separable and usable, eliminating the need for operators to discard them and maintaining both assembly rate and reducing waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of entanglement into a beneficial self-protection mechanism. The distal end geometry that would normally allow interlacing is instead designed to create contact forces that actively prevent entanglement, turning a vulnerable feature into a protective one.
2Adaptability or versatility
If branches are designed to interlace for connection, then fastening capability is achieved, but entanglement risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the distal end of the branches to create opposing contact forces when interlacing is attempted, preventing the harmful entanglement while still allowing the fastening function to occur through the tongue and groove mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the function of different parts of the fastener: the tongue and groove provide fastening capability while the distal end geometry provides entanglement prevention. Each local region has optimized properties for its specific function.
Data Source
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AI summary
The fastener has two branches (20) extending on either side of a median plane (P), each branch (20) bearing a tongue (44), the tongues (44) defining, between them, a throat (46) between the two branches (20). When the fastener is reversed with respect to another identical fastener (112), their respective median planes (P, P') forming a non-zero angle between them, one branch (20) of the fastener (12) having its distal portion (28) in contact with at least one of the two tongues (144) of said other fastener (112) and its outer face (20B) in contact with an inner face (120A) of one branch (120) of said other fastener (112), the distal portion (28) of the other branch (20) of the fastener is essentially in contact with the distal portion (128) of the other branch (20) of said other fastener (112).