Orientation-Locking Fixing Structure for Error-Proof Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening structures fail to distinguish between the front and back sides, leading to potential incorrect assembly and rejected products when members are fastened with reversed orientations.
Innovation Solution
A fixing structure with a shaft portion having a locking claw portion and a frame portion, featuring a ridge portion on the shaft and a groove portion on the frame, where the ridge thickness exceeds the opening width and the length from the ridge tip to the locking portion is shorter than the hole length, ensuring correct orientation during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the anchor portion and anchor hole are made with front-back symmetrical shapes, then the assembly process becomes simpler and faster, but it becomes impossible to visually distinguish the front and back sides, leading to incorrect assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by introducing a ridge portion on the shaft and a corresponding groove portion on the inner surface of the anchor hole. These asymmetric features break the front-back symmetry of the otherwise symmetrical anchor portion and anchor hole, enabling visual distinction between front and back sides while maintaining simple overall shapes for efficient assembly.
2Ease of manufacture
If the shaft portion is made with uniform thickness, then the manufacturing process becomes simpler, but it cannot prevent insertion in incorrect orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a localized ridge portion on the shaft with increased thickness at a specific location, while the rest of the shaft maintains uniform thickness. This localized variation provides orientation control functionality without significantly complicating the overall manufacturing process.
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
Prevents incorrect assembly by preventing the shaft from being inserted upside down or inside out, thereby ensuring proper fastening and reducing rejected products.
Implementation Method 1
an anchor portion having a locking claw portion at a tip portion of the shaft portion, the locking claw portion being elastically expandable and contractible
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing structure includes a shaft portion, an anchor portion, and a frame portion such that the shaft portion is inserted into the anchor hole, and a locking portion of a locking claw portion engages with an end of the frame portion, wherein a ridge portion is formed at a location of the shaft portion facing a predetermined location on an inner surface of the anchor hole, a groove portion is formed on the inner surface of the anchor hole, the thickness of a portion of the shaft portion at the ridge portion is larger than the width of an opening at a location outside the groove portion of the anchor hole, and the length from a tip portion of the ridge portion to the locking portion of the locking claw portion engaging with the frame portion is smaller than the length in the insertion direction of the anchor hole.