Clip-Locked Cover Assembly to Prevent Defective Attachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cover assembly structures suffer from defective assembly due to play between lockers and deformation of synthetic resin components, leading to rattling and incomplete attachment.
Innovation Solution
A cover assembly structure with a clip and cover locker system that includes a first and second locker, and a cover locker with an abutment to prevent the second locker from exiting the through hole if the assembly is defective, using a locking target and abutment to ensure proper alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the interval between the first locker and the second locker is made larger to accommodate plate thickness variations and improve attachment workability, then the ease of manufacture and attachment workability are improved, but play is generated between the lockers and the through holes, leading to rattling and potential defective assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The cover locker acts as an intermediary component between the cover and the clip. It includes an abutment that contacts a locking target on the cover to prevent the cover from moving in the insertion direction of the second locker. This intermediary structure ensures that even with the larger interval between lockers for workability, the cover cannot be improperly assembled because the abutment will prevent the locking target from reaching the second locker's through hole position.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover locker provides preliminary anti-action by preventing the cover from moving too far in the insertion direction before the assembly is complete. The abutment contacts the locking target in advance to stop further movement, preventing the scenario where the cover might be caught by the cover locker or where improper superposition of flat plates would occur. This preliminary prevention ensures proper alignment before the second locker completes the attachment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a cover locker is added to prevent rattling caused by play, then the stability of the assembly is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover locker is merged with the housing structure. It is provided on the housing and works in conjunction with the clip and lockers. By integrating the cover locker into the existing housing rather than making it a completely separate component, the structure achieves improved stability while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity. The cover locker utilizes the existing structural framework of the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover locker serves multiple functions: it prevents rattling by limiting cover movement, ensures proper assembly alignment through the abutment-locking target interaction, and works together with the clip and lockers to secure the cover. This multi-functionality means that a single added component addresses multiple potential assembly issues, thereby improving stability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
Provided are: a cover (10); a housing (20); a clip (30) that holds the cover and the housing at an assembly complete position; and a cover locker (41) that locks the cover at the assembly complete position, in which the clip includes: a shaft (31) inserted in a through hole (11a) of a flat plate (11) of the cover and a through hole (21a) of a flat plate (21) of the housing with the flat plates superposed on each other at the assembly complete position; a first locker (32) that locks a peripheral portion of the through hole of the flat plate of the cover; and a second locker (33) that locks a peripheral portion of the through hole of the flat plate of the housing at a position where the second locker is located out of the through hole of the flat plate of the housing in a case where the second locker passes through the through holes while bending, the cover includes a locking target (12) locked by the cover locker at the assembly complete position against a movement in a direction opposite to an insertion direction of the second locker with respect to the through holes, and the cover locker includes an abutment (43) that abuts on the locking target due to approach of the locking target in the insertion direction to prevent defective assembly of the cover.