Mounting Assembly Indentations for Rail Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mounting assemblies on Picatinny-type rails face issues with alignment and cant problems due to sharp edges and chips from surface treatments, leading to less than optimal engagement and repeatability, especially in harsh environments.
Innovation Solution
The mounting assembly features indentations on selected surfaces to accommodate sharp edges and chips, with alternating flat and indentation surfaces that engage the rail, ensuring secure and repeatable attachment without compromising functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If surface treatment (Type 3 hardcoat anodizing) is applied to aluminum rails, then hardness and durability are improved, but sharp edges and chips are generated causing alignment problems
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly is pre-formed with indentation surfaces and flat surfaces that anticipate and accommodate surface irregularities (sharp edges and chips) that will be generated during the anodizing process. This preliminary design feature ensures that even before the rail is installed, the mounting assembly is configured to handle the known issue of anodizing-induced surface defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of sharp edges and chips (generated by anodizing) into a beneficial feature by designing indentation surfaces that actively receive and accommodate these irregularities. The previously harmful surface defects are now intentionally utilized to ensure proper engagement and alignment, transforming the anodizing process's negative outcome into a positive alignment mechanism.
2Ease of manufacture
If flat contact surfaces are used for mounting engagement, then manufacturing is simplified, but alignment and cant problems occur due to angular deviations
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using uniformly flat contact surfaces throughout, the invention applies different surface qualities in different locations: flat surfaces in some areas and indentation surfaces in other areas. This local differentiation allows each surface type to perform its specific function - flat surfaces for simple manufacturing and indentation surfaces for accommodating irregularities and ensuring alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact surface is segmented into distinct flat surfaces and indentation surfaces rather than using a single continuous flat surface. This segmentation allows the mounting assembly to engage the rail in multiple ways - through flat surface contact for simplicity and through indentation surface engagement for alignment tolerance, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing ease and alignment accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If maximum tolerance (0.2 mm chamfer/break) is specified for rail corners, then manufacturing flexibility is increased, but sharp chips may stand up causing engagement problems
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly incorporates indentation surfaces that act as a cushion or buffer before the actual engagement occurs. These indentation surfaces are designed to receive and absorb the shock of sharp chips and edge irregularities that may result from the maximum tolerance chamfering, thereby protecting the engagement reliability even when manufacturing variations occur within the specified tolerance range.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
AI summary
A mounting assembly (10) which may be releasably mounted on a standard mounting rail (30), where said rail includes a base plate and evenly spaced upwardly extending rail projections (36) with evenly spaced transverse slots there between, each rail projection having an angulated upper side surface and an angulated lower side surface, said mounting assembly comprising: a first rail engaging surface (17) and a second rail engaging surface (19) , said first rail engaging surface and said second rail engaging surface facing said angulated lower side surface, when mounted on the rail, a third rail engaging surface (33) and a fourth rail engaging surface (35), said third rail engaging surface and said fourth rail engaging surface facing said angulated upper side surface, when mounted on the rail, wherein at least said third rail engaging surface and said fourth rail engaging surface are formed with alternating flat surfaces (18) and indentation surfaces (20), each indentation surface having a width extending a width of each of said transverse slots, and each flat surface having a width smaller than a width of each rail projection.