Expandable Fastener Clip Assembly for Misaligned Chassis Slots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fastener devices for attaching vehicle body panels to a chassis face issues with high insertion force, low extraction force, wing breakage due to misalignment, and inability to self-align, leading to rattling, corrosion, and inadequate sealing, especially under varying environmental conditions and production tolerances.
Innovation Solution
A fastener clip assembly comprising a cap and pin configuration that interlocks with a seal component, allowing for sliding engagement and expansion to secure the fastener to a chassis slot, accommodating various thicknesses and misalignments, and featuring snap locks for secure attachment and reusability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional single piece fasteners are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but wing breakage occurs due to misalignment forces
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into two separate pieces: a clip portion that engages the frame slot and a panel portion that attaches to the body panel. This segmentation allows each piece to be optimized independently, with the clip portion designed to accommodate misalignment through elastic deformation while the panel portion maintains secure attachment, thereby preventing wing breakage while remaining cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip portion is designed with specific elastic properties and geometric parameters that allow it to deform under misalignment forces. The wings are configured with appropriate thickness and material properties to flex and absorb unequal compression forces during insertion, preventing breakage while maintaining secure engagement with the frame slot.
2Force
If conventional fasteners are used, then insertion force is high, but extraction force is low leading to panel detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener system incorporates dynamic elements including elastic deformation of the clip portion during insertion and extraction. The wings are designed to flex and store elastic energy during insertion, then release this energy during extraction to maintain secure engagement. This dynamic behavior allows high insertion force to secure the panel while preventing unwanted detachment during normal use.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional fasteners are used, then manufacturing is simple, but self-alignment capability is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The clip portion is designed to automatically self-align during insertion through its elastic properties and geometric configuration. When the fastener is inserted, the wings naturally flex and adjust to accommodate misalignment between the panel hole and frame slot, eliminating the need for precise pre-alignment or complex alignment mechanisms, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving self-alignment.
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 fastener clip assembly provides secure attachment with reduced wing breakage, accommodates misalignment and varying chassis thicknesses, minimizes noise, and maintains sealing integrity over time, enhancing durability and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of elastic wings extending upward from the cap and configured to engage a frame slot
Implementation Method 2
the seal is configured to form a friction fit with the chassis slot
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method including a fastener clip assembly including a cap, the cap including a cap top portion, one or more cap legs extending from the top portion, one or more feet at the bottom of the legs, and one or more tabs extending on the inside of the one or more legs. The fastener clip assembly also includes a pin, the pin being configured to slide around and within the cap, based at least upon the pin being configured to be snapped closed around the cap to form a cap-pin assembly. The cap-pin assembly is configured to couple a panel to a slot in a chassis based at least upon the cap-pin assembly being configured to attach to the slot in the chassis and to the panel. The cap is configured to expand around the chassis slot based at least upon the pin being configured to push the tabs outward in response to the pin being pushed up passed the tabs.