Hinged Fastener Cover for Heat Shield Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat shield designs require excessive assembly time and hinder maintenance due to the obscuration of vehicle components, and exposed fasteners create localized heat concentrations that affect accessibility and serviceability.
Innovation Solution
A heat shield fastener cover with a base, hinge, and cap portion, featuring a latch arrangement that allows the cap to move between open and closed positions, creating a gap to reduce heat transfer and maintain accessibility, comprising a cranked arm with reduced cross-section to minimize thermal transference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fasteners are exposed to secure the heat shield, then assembly is simplified, but localized heat concentrations occur affecting accessibility and serviceability
Solution Approach 1:
A cap portion is introduced as an intermediary component that covers the exposed fastener head. The cap is hinged to the base portion and can be opened during assembly/maintenance to access the fastener, then closed during operation to eliminate heat concentration. This mediator allows the system to have both easy assembly (exposed fastener) and good serviceability (covered fastener) at different times.
2Temperature
If fasteners are positioned away from heat concentrations, then thermal performance improves, but accessibility to fasteners is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cap portion is made dynamic through a hinge connection, allowing it to move between an open position (for accessibility during assembly/maintenance) and a closed position (for thermal performance during operation). This dynamic element enables the system to adapt its configuration based on operational requirements.
3Temperature
If heat shield covers the component, then thermal management improves, but component obscuration hinders maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The cap portion is extracted as a separate, removable component from the heat shield assembly. It can be independently opened to access the fastener without removing the entire heat shield from the vehicle component. This extraction allows maintenance personnel to service the fastener while the heat shield remains in place, combining thermal management with serviceability.
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 fastener cover reduces heat transmission, improves thermal uniformity, and enhances maintenance accessibility by covering exposed fasteners, thus improving the performance and serviceability of heat shields without increasing assembly time or cost.
Implementation Method 1
the cap portion being spaced apart from the base portion when closed to limit heat transfer from the base portion to said cap portion
Implementation Method 2
The arm portion of the present invention is arranged to resist or insulate the transfer of heat from a head of said fastener into the cap
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3
AI summary
Cover 10 is provided for a fastener 2 for a heat shield (1, Fig. 3). The cover has a base portion 12 for securing the cover to the fastener, a cap portion 11 for covering the fastener head (2h, Fig. 5), and a hinge portion 14 between cap and base. An arm portion 15 may be provided between the hinge and the cap or base. Hinge 14 allows cap movement between an open position (21, fig. 4), where the fastener head is accessible, to a closed position (41, Fig. 4), where the fastener head is substantially covered. The cap has latching means 19, comprising cooperating features integrated into the cap and base. Said latch is arranged to securely hold the cap closed, whilst maintaining a pre-determined air-gap (X, Figs. 2b and 2c) between the cap and the fastener head to allow controlled dissipation of heat.