Mud Flap Fastening Tab and Clamping Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mud flaps require drilling holes into vehicle wheel wells, leading to corrosion issues and potentially voiding OEM warranties, and existing solutions for attaching mud flaps without drilling are often inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A mud flap design featuring a tab that captures the fender fold and a rotating clamping fastener system, allowing secure attachment without drilling additional holes, using a tab and clamping mechanism to affix the mud flap to the vehicle wheel well.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If through-fasteners are used to attach mud flap to wheel well, then firm affixation is achieved, but corrosion problem occurs and OEM warranty may be voided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fender fold as an intermediary structure between the mud flap and the wheel well. The fender fold is a pre-existing vehicle component that serves as a mounting surface, eliminating the need to drill holes directly into the wheel well. This intermediary approach provides firm affixation while avoiding corrosion of the wheel well and preserving OEM warranties.
Solution Approach 2:
The fender fold is designed as a pre-formed structure that is already part of the vehicle assembly before the mud flap is installed. This preliminary action of having the fender fold in place allows the mud flap to be attached without requiring additional drilling or modification of the wheel well, thus avoiding corrosion issues.
2Reliability
If holes are drilled into the flange for fastening, then secure attachment is achieved, but corrosion problem arises
Solution Approach 1:
The fender fold acts as a mediator that provides a secure attachment surface without requiring holes to be drilled into the wheel well flange. The mud flap attaches to the fender fold rather than directly to the flange, eliminating the corrosion problem while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system is segmented into separate components: the mud flap, the fender fold, and the wheel well flange. This segmentation allows the mud flap to attach to the fender fold without creating holes in the flange, thereby preventing corrosion while maintaining attachment security.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional fastening methods without drilling are used, then corrosion is avoided, but attachment firmness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The fender fold serves as a robust intermediary structure that enables firm attachment without drilling. By utilizing the pre-existing fender fold geometry and material, the system achieves both corrosion avoidance and adequate attachment firmness through mechanical interlocking and friction-based retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The fender fold is formed from sheet metal that can be locally deformed to create a friction-fit or mechanical interlock with the mud flap. This flexible metal structure provides sufficient attachment firmness without requiring holes, thereby avoiding corrosion while maintaining strength.
Data Source
AI summary
The drilling of new holes into a vehicle fender fold is avoided by providing a mud flap with at least one rotating clamping member that clamps to the wheel well fender fold and, spaced from this clamping member, a tab which captures the end of a wheel well fender fold between itself and a general rear surface of the mud flap body. It is preferred that the tab be integrally molded with the mud flap body.