Hollow Frame Coupling Assembly Using Expandable Adhesive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assembly devices for securing hollow frame members together often require screws, making them expensive to manufacture and compromising aesthetic appearance, as they cannot be injection molded without screws.
Innovation Solution
An assembly device featuring a hollow base member with a hollow tube and coupling members that utilize an expandable adhesive to secure hollow frame members, eliminating the need for screws and allowing injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If screws are used to secure hollow frame members together, then structural strength and durability are improved, but manufacturing cost increases and aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical screw-fastening system with an injection-molded plastic assembly device that uses friction fits, adhesive surfaces, and mechanical interlocking features integrated into the molded structure. This eliminates the need for separate screws while maintaining structural strength and reducing manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions (fastening, structural support, and aesthetic finishing) into a single injection-molded assembly device. The coupling members and base members are molded as integrated components that simultaneously provide mechanical attachment and visual appearance without requiring separate fasteners.
2Strength
If screws are used to secure hollow frame members together, then structural strength and durability are improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visible mechanical screws with an injection-molded plastic assembly device that provides fastening through friction fits and adhesive surfaces. The molded structure conceals all fastening mechanisms, presenting a clean, continuous aesthetic surface without exposed fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different regions of the assembly device. Smooth, continuous surfaces are molded for aesthetic visibility, while localized friction-fit surfaces and adhesive zones are created through molded textures and geometries that provide fastening strength without being visually apparent.
3Strength
If assembly devices cannot be injection molded, then manufacturing complexity increases, but structural strength can be maintained through screws
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the multi-step manufacturing process involving separate screw fasteners with a single injection-molding operation. The assembly device is molded as one or few integrated components with built-in fastening features, dramatically reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity through friction fits and adhesive surfaces.
4Ease of manufacture
If expandable adhesive is used to secure frame members, then manufacturing cost decreases and appearance improves, but adhesive application precision must be controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adhesive application features directly into the injection-molded structure. Adhesive surfaces are pre-formed with specific geometries, textures, and locations during the molding process, ensuring precise adhesive placement and distribution without requiring additional manual application steps or complex dispensing systems.
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 solution provides a cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and secure attachment method for hollow frame members without the need for screws, enabling efficient manufacturing and improved structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The longitudinal groove allows an expandable adhesive that is placed in the hollow core to pass there through and contact the inner periphery of the hollow frame member once the hollow frame member is slid onto the first hollow coupling member. The expandable adhesive will hold the hollow frame member secure to the assembly device.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly device is disclosed for attaching first and second hollow frame members together. The assembly device includes a hollow base member having a top wall, four sidewalls and an open bottom surface. The base member also has a hollow tube positioned therein. The assembly device also includes first and second hollow coupling members projecting outward from a top wall and a side wall of said hollow base member. Each of the first and second coupling members has four sidewalls and one or more cavities formed therein. The cavities allow an expandable adhesive that is placed therein to contact the inner periphery of one of the first and second hollow frame members once the first and second hollow frame members are slid onto one of the first or second coupling members. The expandable adhesive will hold the first and second hollow frame members secure to the assembly device.