Flexible Fastener Captivator for Secure Shipping and Assembly Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Equipment racks and trays are often shipped and moved in a non-final assembled state, leading to challenges in retaining fasteners during transportation and assembly, which can result in loss or misplacement of fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A flexible fastener captivator assembly that includes a flange with an orifice and a flexible cap, coated with adhesive, which encapsulates and secures fasteners, preventing them from being lost while allowing operational access through notches, enabling secure retention and easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fasteners are retained in position for final assembly, then assembly readiness is improved, but fasteners may be lost or misplaced during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is nested within the captivator assembly, which consists of a cap and flange. The cap encloses the fastener while the flange provides an outer boundary, creating a nested structure that secures the fastener during transportation and assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The captivator assembly is prepared in advance with the fastener already positioned and secured within the cap and flange structure. This preliminary assembly allows the fastener to be ready for immediate use during final assembly operations while preventing loss during handling and transportation.
2Reliability
If fasteners are securely retained, then loss prevention is improved, but operational access to fasteners becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The captivator assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: the cap provides enclosure and retention, the flange provides structural support and outer boundary, and notches are created in the cap to provide access pathways. This segmentation allows the fastener to be securely retained while still accessible through the notched portions of the cap.
3Loss of substance
If fasteners are kept captive during shipping, then loss is prevented, but assembly time may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is extracted from loose storage and pre-positioned within the captivator assembly during manufacturing. This extraction and pre-positioning prevents fastener loss during shipping while maintaining assembly speed, as the fastener is already in its final operational position and requires no additional handling during installation.
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 flexible fastener captivator effectively retains fasteners during transportation and assembly, reducing the risk of loss and facilitating efficient final assembly by keeping fasteners captive yet accessible, enhancing the handling and installation process of equipment racks and trays.
Implementation Method 1
a flange (104) comprising an orifice (105) configured to enable a fastener (110) to pass through an adhesive side (109) including an adhesive (109a)
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible fastener captivator includes a flange comprising an orifice configured to enable a fastener to pass through and an adhesive, and a flexible cap coupled with the flange and configured to provide operational access to a fastener encapsulated within the cap, where the cap includes a retaining structure configured to hold a separate fastener within the cap. The retaining structure may be configured as a plurality of flexible ledges extending from an inner surface of the cap and having a planar surface configured to support a head of a separate fastener, such as a standard off-the-shelf screw or bolt. Such a captivator can be dimensioned commensurate with the fastener type and size for which its use is intended, and/or captivator strips may be constructed in Rack Units of length.