Flexible Nylatch Fastening for Board Alignment Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening structures, such as those using nylatches, face challenges in aligning and securely fastening board-like members due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to inconsistencies in hole diameters and positions, which can result in incomplete or unreliable fastening.
Innovation Solution
A fastening structure and method that employs a stopping and anchoring part with a cylinder portion and anchoring unit, where the cylinder portion is fitted into holes of varying diameters, allowing for alignment and secure fastening despite manufacturing tolerances, using a holding plate with a smaller inner diameter to absorb differences and ensure stable attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nylatch is forcibly inserted into holding holes to achieve fastening, then the fastening function is improved, but the tip of the nylatch is deformed and the workability is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The nylatch is designed with a flexible shaft that can dynamically adjust its shape during insertion. The shaft bends to navigate misaligned holes and then returns to its original shape to engage the anchoring unit, transforming a static rigid structure into a dynamic adaptable one that solves both the fastening reliability and ease of operation contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The nylatch utilizes elastic deformation as a key parameter change mechanism. The material properties are selected to allow temporary deformation during insertion (improving ease of operation) while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to achieve reliable fastening (improving fastening function). The elastic modulus and yield strength parameters are optimized to balance these conflicting requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the hole diameters are increased to accommodate manufacturing tolerances, then the ease of insertion is improved, but the fastening precision is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into multiple functional components: the nylatch body, the flexible shaft, the anchoring unit, and the holding plate. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the flexible shaft handles alignment tolerance while the anchoring unit maintains fastening precision, resolving the contradiction between ease of insertion and fastening precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible shaft acts as an intermediary element between the insertion process and the fastening mechanism. It mediates the tolerance accumulation by absorbing positional deviations through elastic deformation, allowing the nylatch to be easily inserted into holes with varying diameters while still achieving precise fastening through the anchoring unit engagement.
3Reliability
If multiple nylatches are used to fasten multiple plates, then the overall fastening coverage is improved, but the accumulation of manufacturing tolerances causes position differences that prevent proper insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The nylatch design provides universal adaptability to handle position alignment issues across multiple fastening points. The flexible shaft and anchoring unit mechanism works consistently regardless of the specific position or orientation, allowing the same nylatch design to be used universally for fastening multiple plates even when manufacturing tolerances cause position differences at each fastening point.
4Reliability
If the nylatch is held in the holding hole and the anchoring unit is inserted into the fixing hole, then the fastening function is improved, but it is essential that the positions of the holding hole and fixing hole coincide or are close to each other
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible shaft transforms the static alignment requirement into a dynamic adaptation process. During insertion, the shaft dynamically adjusts its configuration to bridge the gap between misaligned holding holes and fixing holes, allowing the fastening function to be achieved without requiring precise hole position coincidence.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible shaft provides beforehand cushioning for position misalignment by incorporating elastic deformation capability into the design. This cushioning effect absorbs the shock of misalignment before the anchoring unit engages with the fixing hole, preventing insertion failure and ensuring reliable fastening even when hole positions do not precisely coincide.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastening structure includes first and second board-like members to be fastened, a stopping and anchoring part for latching these board-like members to be fastened, and a stopping and anchoring part holding board-like member between the first and second board-like members to be fastened. For a hole of a first inner diameter formed in the first board-like member to be fastened, and a hole of a second inner diameter formed in the second board-like member to be fastened, a smaller hole of a third inner diameter is formed in the stopping and anchoring part holding board-like member, and the impact of gap of the member in production tolerance is avoided thus enhancing the fastening function.