Vehicle Mounting Joint With Lateral Support for Screw Fatigue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing joints for mounting elongate elements to structural elements in vehicles face issues such as high stresses and strains, risk of screw bending, and premature loosening due to tolerance variations and force amplitudes during tightening.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of lateral support portions that increase joint stiffness and adapt to tolerance variations by transferring forces from clamping portions to support portions, reducing the risk of screw bending and improving clamping efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the upper seat is designed to deform and clamp the axle, then the clamping force is sufficient to secure the elongate element, but the screws are subjected to large force amplitudes resulting in shortened fatigue life and premature loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The joint is divided into separate functional components: clamping portions that apply vertical clamping force and support portions that provide lateral support. This segmentation allows the clamping portions to maintain sufficient clamping force while the support portions bear the lateral loads, reducing force amplitudes on the screws and improving their fatigue life.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces lateral support portions that extend perpendicular to the clamping direction, adding a dimensional element to the joint structure. These support portions receive lateral forces from the elongate element, preventing these forces from being transmitted to the screws, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining clamping force and reducing screw stress amplitudes.
2Ease of manufacture
If the upper seat is designed with minimum tolerance width to ensure proper mounting at maximum axle tolerance, then there is a gap between the seat and axle under normal conditions, but this gap causes poor clamping efficiency and requires excessive tightening force
Solution Approach 1:
The support portions act as intermediaries between the clamping portions and the elongate element. They provide lateral support and help bridge tolerance gaps, allowing the clamping portions to maintain efficient contact with the elongate element while still accommodating manufacturing tolerances in the assembled joint.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the joint by adding laterally extending support portions with specific dimensions. These support portions are configured to contact the elongate element laterally, and their dimensions and positioning are optimized to accommodate tolerance variations while maintaining effective clamping, thus improving clamping efficiency without sacrificing ease of manufacture.
3Device complexity
If traditional clamping joints are used without lateral support, then the structure is simpler, but the joint stiffness in the clamping direction is insufficient leading to high force amplitudes on tightening elements
Solution Approach 1:
The joint structure is segmented into clamping portions and support portions, each with distinct functions. The support portions specifically address the stiffness requirement by providing lateral support, while the clamping portions maintain the clamping function. This segmentation allows the addition of stiffness-enhancing elements without significantly complicating the overall joint structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support portions serve multiple functions: they provide lateral support to increase joint stiffness, accommodate tolerance variations, and reduce lateral loads on the screws. By integrating these multiple functions into a single structural element, the invention improves joint stiffness without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A joint for mounting an elongate element to a structural element in a vehicle, comprising a first and a second clamping portion, tightening elements configured to tighten the first and second clamping portions towards each other so that when the elongate element is arranged between the first and second clamping portions, the elongate element becomes clamped, a first and a second support portion, wherein the first and second support portions are spaced from each other and extend from the first clamping portion to the second clamping portion, wherein when the elongate element is arranged between the first and second clamping portions and the tightening elements tighten the first and second clamping portions, then at least one of the first and second clamping portions is configured to press at least one of the support portions towards the other one so that the elongate element becomes laterally contacted.