Fastenerless Standoff Assembly for Ductwork Damper Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ductwork damper assemblies rely on fasteners like rivets or spot welds for securing standoffs, which are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A standoff assembly for ductwork damper assemblies that uses a plate member with orthogonally extending leg members and a threaded system to mount on the ductwork surface without fasteners, ensuring secure attachment through a threaded member engaging the pivot rod.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fasteners (rivets or spot welds) are used to secure standoffs to ductwork, then the standoff attachment is strong and reliable, but the manufacturing cost increases and installation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the fastener component entirely from the attachment system. The standoff is designed with leg members that directly contact and friction-fit against the ductwork outer surface, eliminating the need for rivets, welds, or other fastening means. This extraction of the fastener element reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining attachment reliability through proper geometric design of the leg members.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded member acts as an intermediary element that secures the handle assembly to the standoff without requiring fasteners to attach the standoff itself. The standoff's leg members serve as an intermediary contact interface between the standoff body and the ductwork surface, enabling fastenerless attachment through friction and geometric interlocking.
2Reliability
If fasteners are used to attach standoffs to ductwork, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the fastener application step entirely from the installation process, the patent eliminates the time required for drilling holes, inserting rivets, or performing spot welds. The standoff with its specially designed leg members can be directly positioned and secured to the ductwork surface in a single operation, dramatically reducing installation time while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The standoff structure is designed to be self-securing through its leg members that make direct contact with the ductwork surface. The geometry of the leg members creates friction and mechanical interlocking that automatically secures the standoff in place without requiring external fastening operations, enabling quick installation by simply positioning the component.
3Reliability
If a threaded member is used to secure the handle to the standoff, then the handle is firmly attached, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded member serves multiple functions: it secures the handle to the standoff, provides an adjustable positioning mechanism, and allows for easy removal and reinstallation. This multi-functional element simplifies the overall design by using a single component to achieve several objectives, rather than requiring multiple specialized fasteners or attachment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A standoff for a ductwork damper assembly includes a plate member and first and second leg members extending orthogonally from respective opposing sides of the plate member, the plate member having an aperture for receiving a pivot rod of a damper of the ductwork assembly, wherein the standoff is adapted for mounting on an outer surface of a section of ductwork of the ductwork damper assembly in the absence of fasteners at a site of contact between the first and second leg members and the surface of the section of ductwork.