Single-Piece Flange Adapter With Overlapping Clamp Walls
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flange adapters are costly to manufacture due to processes like casting and multiple stampings, requiring secondary machining and complex assembly, and often have limited mounting flexibility and access to building structures.
Innovation Solution
A flange adapter formed from a single-piece blank of thick steel, using successive stamping operations to create a multi-wall clamp structure with overlapping walls, allowing for efficient manufacturing and improved structural strength and mounting flexibility by being mounted perpendicular to the flange, enabling secure attachment to various building structures with enhanced access and orientation options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional flange adapters are manufactured using casting and multiple stampings, then structural strength can be achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations (stamping, bending, forming) into a single progressive die process that creates the multi-wall clamp structure from a single piece of metal. This merging of operations reduces manufacturing steps, lowers cost, and eliminates the need for secondary machining while maintaining structural integrity through the integrated design
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional flange adapters use multiple stampings and secondary machining, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but device complexity increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The progressive die process is segmented into multiple stations that perform different operations (piercing, stamping, bending, forming) in sequence on the same workpiece. This segmentation allows each operation to be optimized independently while maintaining overall process integration, reducing device complexity and improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The progressive die process performs preliminary forming and positioning operations in early stations that prepare the metal blank for subsequent critical operations. This preliminary action ensures proper material flow and positioning, maintaining manufacturing precision while reducing the complexity of later stages
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional flange adapters are designed with limited mounting configurations, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a multi-wall clamp structure with overlapping metal walls that create three-dimensional mounting surfaces. This dimensional evolution from a simple flat flange to a multi-layered clamp structure enables mounting in multiple orientations and configurations while being produced through a single integrated progressive die process
Data Source
AI summary
A flange adapter can include a plurality of walls, with at least one wall being an overlapping wall. The overlapping wall can include multiple layers formed from overlapping folded sections extending from at least two other walls, or from overlapping extensions of at least two other walls. The overlapping wall can receive a fastener through the multiple layers to secure a support structure to the flange adapter. A main body of the flange adapter, including the plurality of walls, can be integrally formed from a single-piece of material.