Modular Snap Joint Locking for Fast, Secure Module Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modular construction requires a snap joint that provides structural strength, cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and limited footprint, while ensuring modules remain securely assembled under various loads and conditions, without the risk of accidental disassembly.
Innovation Solution
A snap joint design featuring locking members biased transversally, held by a tumbler with a cap stop and base stop, allowing engagement with a shaft to secure modules, ensuring correct alignment and preventing misconfiguration, with an optional unlocking feature for disengagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional fastening methods are used to assemble modules, then structural strength and rigidity are achieved, but the assembly process requires significant on-site workforce and time
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into distinct functional components: a male member with a shaft, a female member with a housing, locking members, and a tumbler. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function (alignment, locking, control) and enables pre-assembly in controlled factory conditions, reducing on-site assembly complexity and increasing productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are pre-positioned within the female member's housing during factory manufacturing, and the male member is pre-configured with its shaft and alignment features. This preliminary action ensures that when modules are brought to the construction site, the snap joint components are already prepared and aligned, requiring minimal on-site adjustment and significantly reducing assembly time and workforce requirements
2Ease of operation
If snap joints are designed to be simple to use, then ease of operation improves, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The snap joint design incorporates self-aligning features where the male shaft automatically guides itself into the correct position within the female housing through geometric constraints and tolerance design. The locking members automatically engage when the shaft is inserted to the correct depth, eliminating the need for complex manual alignment procedures while maintaining strong structural connections. This self-service mechanism simplifies operation without compromising strength
Solution Approach 2:
The tumbler acts as an intermediary component that controls the engagement of locking members. It provides a mechanical interface that translates simple linear insertion motion into the simultaneous activation of multiple locking features. The tumbler's cap stop and base stop guide the shaft's movement and trigger the locking sequence, making the system easy to operate while ensuring all structural locking elements are properly engaged
3Strength
If locking members are biased transversally towards each other, then structural strength is improved, but the risk of accidental engagement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tumbler is designed with cap stops and base stops that preemptively prevent the shaft from reaching the position where locking members would engage. During normal insertion, the tumbler's stops block the shaft's path before it can compress the locking members into the locked position. This preliminary anti-action eliminates the risk of accidental engagement while allowing strong locking when intentionally triggered by the correct insertion depth
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are designed with dynamic characteristics, being spring-biased towards the locked position but held in a ready state by the tumbler's stops. The system transitions from a static pre-loaded state to an active locked state only when the shaft overcomes the tumbler's stops through proper insertion. This dynamic design maintains strong locking force when engaged while preventing accidental activation through the tumbler's mechanical blocking
4Area of stationary object
If the snap joint footprint is minimized, then space efficiency improves, but the complexity of achieving structural strength increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional elements are merged into compact, multi-purpose components. The shaft serves both as the insertion guide and the triggering mechanism for locking. The tumbler combines alignment, blocking, and triggering functions in a single small component. The locking members integrate both the locking lugs and the spring bias mechanism. This merging reduces the overall footprint while maintaining structural strength through clever functional integration rather than adding separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The snap joint components are designed with nested geometries where the male shaft fits within the female housing, the locking members are nested within recesses in the housing, and the tumbler is positioned to control access to the locking members. This nesting arrangement minimizes the external footprint of the assembly while maintaining all necessary functional clearances and structural dimensions for strong connections
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 snap joint achieves secure and efficient assembly of modular construction modules, ensuring structural integrity and ease of use, while maintaining a compact footprint and preventing accidental disassembly, thus addressing the requirements of cost, usability, and load-bearing capacity.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member positioned between the locking member and the housing, the biasing member configured to bias the locking member towards the tumbler
Data Source
AI summary
A snap joint for securing construction modules together on a modular construction site, the snap joint comprising a male member mounted on a first construction module and a female member mounted on a second construction module. The female member housing locking members, a tumbler and biasing members biasing the locking members against the tumbler. The male member having shaft engageable within the female member, through a base stop of the tumbler, along a trigger path in a manner to push the tumbler out of interference with the locking members, thereby freeing the locking members to transversally engage with the shaft.