Hook-to-Hook Fastener With Sealing Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastener assemblies with hooks lack adequate sealing functionality, leading to leakage issues in packaging and storage applications, which can compromise food freshness and the integrity of stored items.
Innovation Solution
A fastener assembly design featuring a base with a longitudinal row of hooks and two longitudinal rows of ribs, where the hooks and ribs are spaced to form hook-receiving and rib-receiving areas, allowing for secure engagement and improved sealing between mating surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hook-to-hook fastener assembly is used, then the fastening function is achieved, but the sealing function is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealing function and fastening function into a single integrated fastener assembly. The ribs provide sealing by engaging with corresponding receiving areas on the mating fastener, while the hooks provide mechanical fastening. This merging eliminates the need for separate sealing components and fastening components, resolving the contradiction between improving sealing reliability and avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener assembly is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: the ribs provide both structural support and sealing functionality, while the hooks provide mechanical engagement. Each component of the fastener serves dual purposes, enhancing the overall sealing capability without requiring additional dedicated sealing parts, thus maintaining structural simplicity while improving reliability.
2Reliability
If hooks are spaced closer together, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is segmented into distinct functional elements: multiple ribs extending from the base and multiple hooks extending from the base. These segmented elements are spaced at specific intervals along the longitudinal direction. The segmentation allows for optimized spacing that balances sealing effectiveness with manufacturability, as each rib and hook can be independently formed while maintaining appropriate spacing to achieve reliable sealing without requiring excessive manufacturing precision.
3Reliability
If the fastener design includes both hooks and ribs, then the sealing function is enhanced, but the ease of manufacture may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rib structure and hook structure are merged into a single integrated fastener body that can be manufactured as one piece. The ribs and hooks both extend from the same base structure, allowing them to be formed simultaneously in a single molding or fabrication process. This integration maintains ease of manufacture while providing the enhanced sealing function that multiple ribs deliver, avoiding the need for separate assembly steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener includes: a base; a plurality of hooks extending from the base, the plurality of hooks sized to receive a corresponding hook of a plurality of hooks of another fastener; and a plurality of ribs extending from the base, the plurality of ribs sized to receive a corresponding rib of a plurality of ribs of the other fastener.