Concrete Mold Plate Connectors Using Button-and-Hole Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing concrete product mold assemblies face challenges in manufacturing and assembly due to tight tolerances, warpage from heat treatment, limited machining options for hardened materials, and inefficient joint designs that lead to cracking, reduced productivity, and instability.
Innovation Solution
A button-style connection method using machined buttons on hardened steel plates that fit into receiver holes, allowing for secure, tight-fitting connections between partition and liner plates, reducing the number of components and simplifying manufacturing while enhancing joint strength and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If dowel pins are used to join perpendicular plates, then the joint connection is achieved, but the liner thickness must be increased which reduces the number of products per cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from edge-surface hole drilling to face-surface hole drilling. By moving the hole location from the edge surface to the face surface of the liner, the button can be positioned without requiring increased liner thickness, thus maintaining productivity while achieving strong joint connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection is segmented into two parts: buttons formed on the face surface of one component and corresponding holes formed on the face surface of the mating component. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each feature's location and geometry.
2Strength
If tabs with sharp corners are cut into hardened partition plates, then the connection is achieved, but stress concentration occurs under dynamic loading leading to cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces sharp-cornered tabs with buttons that have curved or rounded geometries. The buttons are formed with semicircular or rounded ends rather than sharp corners, which eliminates stress concentration points and prevents cracking under dynamic loading conditions.
3Strength
If wire electrical discharge machining is used for sharp corners in hardened plates, then the connection is achieved, but the machining time is significantly slower reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the need for slow wire electrical discharge machining with conventional mechanical drilling and button formation processes. By changing the geometry to allow face-surface drilling, standard mechanical machining methods can be used, dramatically increasing production speed.
4Strength
If the tab and slot design is used, then the connection is achieved, but the contact surface area is limited reducing joint stability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the connection features into a more robust button-and-hole design where the button provides both positioning and load-bearing functions. The increased contact area between the button and hole wall, combined with the ability to use multiple buttons per connection, significantly improves joint stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A mold assembly for forming concrete products comprises a plurality of partition plates spanning between pairs of end plates and forming one or more columns within a product mold matrix, where each of the partition plates have edge surfaces on each long end adjacent a respective one of the end plates and opposing faces along an expanse of the partition plate. A plurality of liners span between pairs of partition plates and form one or more rows within the product mold matrix, where each of the liners include edge surfaces on each long end adjacent a respective one of the partition plates, and buttons projecting from the edge surfaces of the liners configured to be received within complementary apertures formed through the faces of adjacent partition plates.