Two-Piece Fastener Clip Assembly for Misalignment and Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners for attaching vehicle body panels to a chassis face issues with unequal wing compression, misalignment, and inability to self-align, leading to wing breakage and poor reusability, as well as inadequate security in varying environmental conditions and production tolerances, resulting in noise, wear, and corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece fastener clip assembly with a tub and blade design, featuring independent wings that bend and spring back, and a blade with tapered tabs and retention notches for secure engagement, along with a rib flange for strength and alignment, and spring fingers for maintaining engagement and reducing disengagement, made from injection moldable plastic or metal for enhanced durability and adaptability.
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 unequal compression forces during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into two separate pieces: a clip portion that engages with 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 distribute insertion forces evenly across multiple wings, preventing the unequal compression and breakage that occurs in single-piece fasteners while maintaining cost-effectiveness
2Productivity
If conventional fasteners are inserted into misaligned slots, then installation speed is maintained, but wing breakage occurs due to unequal forces on wings
Solution Approach 1:
The clip portion is designed with flexible wings that can deflect and adapt to misalignment between the fastener and frame slot during insertion. The wings can bend to accommodate positional variations without experiencing excessive unequal forces, allowing rapid installation even when perfect alignment is not achieved while preventing wing breakage
3Ease of repair
If conventional fasteners are removed and reinserted, then reusability is attempted, but the sharp edges of the frame slot cut into the softer plastic and prevent reinsertion
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener system is designed so that the clip portion can be easily removed and replaced. While the clip itself may show wear from repeated insertions and removals, the modular design allows for economical replacement rather than repair, and the system maintains reusability for a reasonable service life without the permanent damage caused by sharp slot edges cutting into integrated fastener structures
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional fasteners are used with varying sheet metal thicknesses and slot positions, then adaptability is reduced, but manufacturing tolerances must be tightened
Solution Approach 1:
The clip portion is designed with flexible wings that can dynamically adjust their position and orientation during insertion to accommodate variations in slot position and sheet metal thickness. This dynamic adaptability allows the fastener to work effectively across a range of manufacturing tolerances without requiring tight precision control, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining reliable attachment
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 a high extraction force to removal force ratio, minimizes noise and rattling, and accommodates production tolerances, allowing for repeated use and improved attachment security across various environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The wings are configured to move substantially independently from one another and are configured to bend as the tub is inserted over the blade and to spring back to original positions of the wings
Implementation Method 2
spring fingers for maintaining engagement and reducing disengagement
Implementation Method 3
engagement of one portion of the slot in the chassis with one of the wings may not provide suitable frictional engagement
Data Source
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AI summary
Fastener clip including a tub that may be configured to engage and be secured to a slot in a chassis. The tub comprising at least two wings have a top portion and a bottom portion. The at least two wings are attached to the tub along a top portion of each of the wings on opposite sides of the tub. Bottom portions of the wings engage the chassis, securing the tub to the slot. The tub comprises at least two hooks on opposite sides of the tub and located laterally to the wings. The wings are configured to bend in response to the tub being inserted into a rib. The rib has tabs with outside edges to engage the hooks. Each of the tabs on the rib may be tapered to form tapered tabs. At the end of each tab, a retention notch engages the hook on the tub.