Fluted Plastic Column Fixing for High-Torque Concrete Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for fixing plastic objects to tougher, harder materials like concrete or metal face challenges such as high required torques, risk of material breakage, and imperfect matching due to material shrinkage and clearance issues, leading to instability and potential damage during stress loads like those in washing machines.
Innovation Solution
The use of tapered, fluted columns with spiral wings on the plastic object and corresponding truncated-conical housings on the concrete object, allowing for precise engagement and increased friction through elastic deformation of the wings under torque, preventing uncontrolled sliding and abrasion, thus ensuring stable and balanced fixing without breaking the plastic material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high tightening torques are applied to ensure stable matching between plastic and concrete objects, then the stability and reliability of the fixing are improved, but the plastic columns may suffer traumatic breakage due to excessive stress
Solution Approach 1:
The column is segmented into a plastic body and a separate metal insertion piece. The metal insertion piece is inserted into the plastic column and provides the tensile strength needed to withstand high tightening torques without breaking the plastic material. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function - plastic for centering and metal for structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing system uses a composite structure combining plastic and metal materials in the column assembly. The plastic column provides centering and positioning functions, while the embedded metal insertion piece provides the mechanical strength to resist high torques. This composite approach allows the system to achieve both the centering accuracy of plastic and the strength of metal.
2Ease of operation
If mounting clearance is increased to accommodate shrinkage of different materials, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the exactness and stability of the matching are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The column features a conical shape with a tapered surface that engages with a corresponding conical recess in the concrete object. This curved, tapered geometry provides self-centering action during assembly, guiding the components into precise alignment while accommodating material shrinkage. The conical interface ensures exact matching without requiring large clearance tolerances.
3Strength
If the column structure is provided with higher thickness to increase resistance, then the strength of the column is improved, but the uniform cooling during moulding cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The column structure is segmented into a thin-walled plastic body and a separate metal insertion piece. The plastic column maintains uniform thickness for proper cooling during molding, while the metal insertion piece provides the additional strength and torque resistance. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
4Strength
If external longitudinal wings are added to increase resistance, then the strength of the column is improved, but the geometry does not create exact interference with the internal walls of concrete housings
Solution Approach 1:
The column uses a conical tapered surface instead of external longitudinal wings. This curved, continuous surface provides exact interference engagement with the corresponding conical recess in the housing, ensuring precise centering and positioning. The tapered geometry naturally creates the necessary interference fit without requiring protruding wings that would compromise alignment precision.
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
This configuration enables effective, stable, and balanced fixing of plastic to concrete objects under high stress loads, preventing material breakage and maintaining precise matching, even under rototranslational stress, while allowing for high tightening torques without damaging the plastic columns.
Implementation Method 1
elastic deformation of the wings under torque, preventing uncontrolled sliding
Implementation Method 2
increased friction through elastic deformation of the wings under torque
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~8
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system used to permanently fix a plastic object (1) to an object (2) made of different material with higher toughness and surface hardness, by providing the plastic object (1) with externally fluted columns (10, 10a, 10b, 10c) designed to be engaged and fixed with screws to create friction against the internal walls of the through housings obtaine on the structure of the object (2) made of the material with higher toughness and surface hardness.