Interlocking Clip Assembly to Prevent Rotation and Severance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sets of staples used in underfloor heating systems are fragile and prone to rotation during handling, leading to cumbersome reloading and a high likelihood of assembly severance due to weak adhesive connections or brittle melted material bonds.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates cooperation pins on each staple that interlock, preventing rotational movement and enhancing rigidity, thereby facilitating easier handling and reducing the risk of assembly failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If staples are connected by a strip glued to the central part, then the staple assembly can be formed, but the connection becomes fragile and loses adhesive power over time and temperature variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism (glue) with a mechanical interlocking mechanism. The cooperation pins on each staple engage with corresponding receptacles on adjacent staples, creating a mechanical connection that does not rely on adhesive properties. This mechanical system maintains connection strength regardless of temperature variations or time exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the connection mechanism from chemical (adhesive) to physical (mechanical interlocking). By introducing cooperation pins and receptacles that physically interlock, the connection reliability is improved while maintaining ease of assembly. The mechanical engagement provides consistent connection strength under varying conditions.
2Ease of manufacture
If staples are connected by melting the material on the surface, then the staples can be joined, but the molten material is thin and brittle making the assembly less rigid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal bonding mechanism (melting) with a mechanical interlocking system. The cooperation pins fit into receptacles to create rigid mechanical joints that do not rely on brittle molten material. This provides both ease of assembly and high rigidity simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure where multiple staples are interconnected through mechanical engagement of pins and receptacles. This composite assembly achieves high rigidity through the distributed mechanical connections rather than relying on weak molten material bonds between individual staples.
3Ease of manufacture
If staples are connected with weak adhesive or brittle melted material, then the staples can be assembled, but the assembly is likely to be severed during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces weak chemical or thermal bonds with robust mechanical interlocking. The cooperation pins engage with receptacles to create strong physical connections that resist separation forces during handling, eliminating the severance problem associated with weak adhesives or brittle molten material.
4Ease of manufacture
If staples are connected without interlocking mechanism, then the assembly can be formed, but the staples tend to rotate relative to each other making loading cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mechanical interlocking system with cooperation pins and receptacles that prevent rotational movement between adjacent staples. This mechanical constraint eliminates the rotation problem during handling while maintaining ease of assembly through the simple pin-receptacle engagement mechanism.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
This set (1) of clips (2) for fixing tubes or cables to a supporting structure comprises clips (2) juxtaposed and interconnected. Each branch (22, 24) of each clip (2) comprises at least one cooperation pin (21) having a first part which protrudes from the front face (AV) and a second part which protrudes from the rear face (AR) of the clip (2). Each staple (2) comprises at least a first free space and a second free space located respectively at the level of the front face (AV) and the rear face (AR) of the staple (2). Each cooperation pin (21) comprises at least a first contact zone and a second contact zone, so that when the faces (AV, AR) of a first clip (2) of the assembly (1) are in contact with the faces (AV, AR) of the adjacent clips (2), the first contact zone and the second contact zone of the first clip (2) are in contact respectively with the second contact zone and the first contact zone of a cooperation pin staples (2) adjacent.