Fold-over buckle asymmetric gap and knurling for cargo restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fold-over buckles fail to meet the new safety standards for securing cargo, particularly under cyclic load tests simulating turbulent flight conditions, as they experience excessive slip and failure due to inadequate tensioning and clamping mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A fold-over buckle design featuring a buckle body with spaced side walls, a pivot axis, and a handle part with a rod element having eccentric bearing ends and a patterned surface, such as cross knurling, to enhance friction and clamping force, ensuring the buckle can withstand the cyclic load test requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional fold-over buckle design is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the buckle fails to meet the cyclic load test requirements due to excessive belt slip
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot axis is designed with an asymmetric gap width relative to the rod element, creating an eccentric configuration where the gap width varies during operation. This asymmetric design generates the necessary clamping force through the varying gap during the folding motion, preventing belt slip while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the pivot axis and rod element configuration, specifically the gap width and eccentricity, to optimize the clamping force. By adjusting these parameters, the buckle achieves reliable belt retention under cyclic loads without requiring additional complex components.
2Ease of operation
If the gap width between pivot axis and rod element is increased to allow easy strap threading, then the ease of operation improves, but the clamping force decreases leading to belt slip under load
Solution Approach 1:
The gap width between the pivot axis and rod element is designed to be dynamic rather than static. During the folding motion, the gap width varies automatically, providing a larger gap during opening for easy strap insertion and a smaller gap during closing to generate strong clamping force, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and clamping force.
Solution Approach 2:
The buckle utilizes periodic folding motion to create varying gap widths between the pivot axis and rod element. This periodic variation in gap width ensures that during each cycle, there is adequate space for strap manipulation followed by strong clamping action, balancing ease of operation with sufficient clamping force.
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 buckle effectively prevents belt slip and meets the requirements of new safety standards by providing sufficient tension and clamping force, ensuring secure cargo restraint during turbulent conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the rod element has a surface provided with a, in particular three-dimensional, pattern... the pattern is knurling... A pattern can increase friction.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
A folding buckle comprising a buckle body with spaced-apart side walls, a pivot axis extending between the side walls of the buckle body, and a handling element with a rod element and a pair of receiving holes, wherein the receiving holes are configured to receive the pivot axis in order to engage the handling element with the buckle body such that the handling element is pivotable between an open position in which a strap can be threaded into the handling element through a gap with a gap width s2 between the pivot axis and the rod element, and a closed position in which tension can be exerted on the strap threaded into the handling element, characterized in that the rod element has a profile with a, in particular three-dimensional,has a patterned surface and/or that in the closed position the gap between the pivot axis and the rod element has a gap width s1, wherein the gap width s1 is smaller than the gap width s2.