Concealed Fastener Assembly for Stable Flat-Pack Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Structures assembled from composite materials, such as portable toilets and tool sheds, face instability due to rivet joints allowing lateral movement, require on-site assembly tools, and are difficult to disassemble, which increases transport costs and damages the structure.
Innovation Solution
A concealed structural element fastening system using a fastener with a guide for movement along an engagement path, featuring a pillar with a longitudinal groove and a panel with complementary edges, and a screw-threaded bolt system that secures the elements without visible fasteners, allowing easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rivets are used to secure structural elements, then the structure can be assembled, but lateral movement occurs and stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into multiple functional components: a fastener body, an engagement formation with gripping elements, and a guide feature. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, with the gripping elements providing lateral resistance while the guide ensures proper alignment during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system incorporates dynamic characteristics through the engagement formation that allows controlled movement during assembly while providing rigid restraint during service. The guide feature enables the fastener to move along a defined path during installation, then locks into position to prevent lateral movement of the joined structural elements.
2Ease of manufacture
If rivets are used to secure structural elements, then assembly is possible, but on-site assembly tools and supplies are required
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is designed to be self-contained and self-installing. The fastener includes integrated guide features that direct its own insertion path, and the engagement formation automatically engages with the structural elements without requiring external tooling or supply equipment during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide feature and fastening function are merged into a single integrated fastener component. This combination eliminates the need for separate guide tools and fastening tools, allowing the entire assembly operation to be performed with minimal equipment while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If rivets are used to secure structural elements, then the structure can be assembled, but disassembly is difficult and damages the structure
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system exhibits dynamic reversibility, allowing easy transition between assembled and disassembled states. During assembly, the guide feature directs the fastener into position and the engagement formation secures the joints. During disassembly, the fastener can be removed along the same guide path without damaging the structural elements, enabling repeated assembly and disassembly cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system is designed for recovery and reuse. The fastener can be removed from the assembled structure without damaging the structural elements, and the engagement formations on the structural elements remain intact for subsequent assembly operations. This allows the fasteners to be recovered and reused in other applications.
4Ease of manufacture
If visible fasteners are used to secure structural elements, then assembly is simple, but aesthetic appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening function is extracted from visible locations and placed within the structural elements themselves. The fastener is positioned inside the structural members, with only minimal portions exposed or concealed by the structure's own features. This extraction maintains assembly simplicity while removing the aesthetic compromise of visible fasteners from the exterior surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener is nested within the structural elements, with the engagement formation positioned inside the structural members and the guide feature aligned with internal cavities or channels. This nesting conceals the fastening components within the structure's own geometry, maintaining simple assembly while achieving clean aesthetic appearance without external visible fasteners.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention comprises a concealed structural element fastening system (1) comprising a first structural element (2) and a second structural element (3), and a fastener (4) configured to secure the first structural element (2) and the second structural element (3) to, and in abutment with, each other; with the first structural element (2) including a fastener guide configured to movably secure the fastener (4) to the first structural element (2) and guide movement of the fastener (4) along an engagement path between a disengaged position and an engaged position; with the fastener (4) including an engagement formation complementarity configured to an engagement formation on the second structural element (3), operatively for the engagement formations of the fastener (4) and the second structural element (3) to become engaged with movement of the fastener (4) from the disengaged position to the engaged position to secure the second structural element (3) to the first structural element (2).