Vehicle Panel Clip With Tapered Guide Part
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clips used for attaching parts to vehicle body panels often suffer from damage during insertion due to misalignment and burrs, leading to reduced engagement force and difficulty in detachment.
Innovation Solution
A clip design featuring a guide part with a tapered and reversely tapered section, along with a diameter-enlarged part, that guides the leg portion into the attaching hole, protecting the engaging pieces and allowing for smooth insertion and detachment, while elastic engaging pieces maintain their bending force and securing ability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the clip is inserted into the attaching hole with misalignment or burrs, then the insertion process is simple and quick, but the engaging pieces are damaged and scraping occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The guide part is provided in advance on the leg portion to perform preliminary alignment and protection actions before the engaging pieces reach the attaching hole. The guide part's tapered section预先 guides the leg portion into correct alignment, preventing misalignment damage to the engaging pieces
Solution Approach 2:
The guide part acts as an intermediary element between the leg portion and the attaching hole. It mediates the insertion process by providing a tapered guide surface that aligns the clip with the hole and protects the engaging pieces from direct contact with burrs or misaligned edges
2Strength
If the engaging pieces are pressed and bent during insertion, then the clip can be securely fixed to the attaching hole, but the outer peripheral surfaces are damaged and elastic restoration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide part performs preliminary alignment before the engaging pieces contact the attaching hole, ensuring they enter correctly positioned. This prevents excessive bending and surface damage that would reduce elastic restoration capability
Solution Approach 2:
The guide part converts the potentially harmful effect of burrs and misalignment into a beneficial alignment function. The tapered guide surface transforms the risk of damaging contact into a controlled guidance mechanism that protects the engaging pieces
3Ease of manufacture
If small stepped parts are formed between the tapered block part and engaging pieces, then the engaging pieces can be extended from the block part, but the stepped parts are caught on the peripheral edge during detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide part is designed with continuous surfaces that prevent catching during detachment before the engaging pieces are fully engaged. The reversely tapered section prepares the path for smooth removal by eliminating protrusions that could hook on the hole edge
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful stepped parts that cause catching during detachment are removed from the design. The guide part uses smooth tapered surfaces instead of stepped transitions, extracting the problematic feature while maintaining the functional benefits
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 clip design prevents damage to the engaging pieces during insertion, maintains their elastic restoring force, and ensures easy detachment by avoiding burrs and misalignment issues, improving workability and securing force.
Implementation Method 1
a tapered part formed at a distal end of the guide part so as to be gradually reduced in an outer diameter toward an inserting direction of the leg portion
Implementation Method 2
the plurality of the engaging pieces are elastically restored so that the holding parts are engaged with the peripheral edge of the attaching hole from the back side
Implementation Method 3
a diameter enlarged part formed between the reversely tapered part and the tapered part so as to have an outer diameter largest among the guide part
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clip including: a flange to be abutting a panel having an attaching hole; and a leg portion to be inserted into the attaching hole. The leg portion includes: an engaging part; and a guide part connected thereto. The guide part include: a distal-end tapered part formed to be gradually reduced in an outer diameter toward an inserting direction of the leg portion; a base-end reversely tapered part formed to be gradually reduced in an outer diameter toward the opposite direction; and a diameter enlarged part formed therebetween to have an outer diameter largest among the guide part. The largest outer diameter of the diameter enlarged part is larger than that of a distal end part of the engaging part.