Hinged Clip Retainer Prevents Disassociation on Living Hinge Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clip fasteners with living hinges often fail due to manufacturing defects, overextension, or damage during shipment or installation, leading to increased costs and potential vehicle system failures, as the living hinge must be thin for flexibility but is prone to failure, and retainer elements may break during use or before installation.
Innovation Solution
A hinged clip with a retainer system that includes a living hinge and a retention device, where the retention device, such as a pin and curved elements, prevents disassociation of the clip members for any angle of rotation, ensuring engagement and maintaining clamping force even if the living hinge fails, accommodating installation tolerances and providing functionality during shipment, installation, and post-installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the living hinge is made thin to allow flexibility for rotation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to manufacturing defects, overextension, and damage during shipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a retention device that acts as a preventive measure before the living hinge fails. This device includes a retainer element positioned to engage with the elongated article, creating a backup system that prevents complete failure even when the living hinge is damaged or broken during shipment or installation
2Reliability
If a retainer element is added to prevent dislocation upon living hinge failure, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention device is integrated into the existing clip structure, with the retainer element being formed as part of the same molded component as the living hinge assembly. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate parts and simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining the reliability improvement
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer element serves multiple functions: it acts as a backup retention mechanism when the living hinge fails, provides additional support during normal operation, and can engage with the elongated article directly. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing multiple benefits from a single structural feature
Data Source
AI summary
A clip retention system includes first and second body members. A first body member pin is joined by a living hinge to the second body member which permits an angular range of body member rotation. Retention elements partially enclose the pin. Upon living hinge failure the retention elements prevent body member disassociation for any angle within the angular range of rotation.