Grooved Washer Structure for Inverted Screw Tape Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional grooved washers lack a mutual fixing structure with screw carrier tapes, leading to screws falling and becoming difficult to manage when the tape is carried upside down, resulting in scattered screws.

Innovation Solution

A grooved washer design featuring a ring body with an annular groove and perforation, combined with a metal gasket that limits the carrier tape, ensuring stable attachment and preventing screws from falling, even when the tape is inverted, and providing a secure fastening mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the carrier tape is placed upside down during carrying, then the user can carry the tape in any orientation, but the screw slides out of the positioning aperture causing screws to scatter

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarrying orientation flexibilityVSAvoidscrew retention stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The groove structure on the outer side face of the ring body creates preliminary resistance against the screw sliding out. When the carrier tape is inverted, the groove walls prevent the screw from sliding out by providing a physical barrier that opposes the sliding motion, thus preventing the harmful effect of screw scattering before it can occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Reliability

If the washer outer surface is made smooth, then the washer can provide good sealing, but the washer may slide out from the positioning aperture on the carrier tape

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidwasher retention stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The groove structure is localized on the outer side face of the ring body, creating a specific region with enhanced friction and mechanical interlocking capability. This local structural feature provides both sealing capability through the groove configuration and prevention of sliding out, thus resolving the contradiction between smooth sealing surface and retention stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3767115B1Grooved washer
Publication Date: 2022.08.31 GUANGZHE ENTERPRISE CO LTD
  • EP3767115B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3767115B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3767115B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A grooved washer is used on a screw carrier tape (40) and has a ring body (10A). The ring body (10A) has an outer side face (11A), a groove (12A) annularly formed in the outer side face (11A), two groove walls (13A) oppositely defined in the groove (12A), and a perforation (14A). The perforation (14A) is formed through a center of the ring body (10A). Moreover, the grooved washer has a metal gasket (20C) which is attached to the top surface of the ring body (10A). With the groove (12A), the grooved washer limits the carrier tape to be stuck on the screw carrier tape (40) so that screws are stably located in the positioning apertures without falling from the screw carrier tape (40) and being scattered, so as to improve the convenience in use.