Multipart Enclosure Assembly Using Blind Latches Instead of Fasteners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional enclosures for gaseous fuel systems on vehicles require numerous threaded fasteners for assembly and disassembly, leading to time-consuming inspections, potential damage, and increased costs due to mis-threading or uneven attachment, which can result in delays and repetitive motion injuries.
Innovation Solution
A multipart enclosure system using nested shells with latch and catch assemblies that attach without fasteners, distributing force evenly and incorporating sensors for secure attachment and alert systems to ensure proper assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional threaded fasteners are used to attach the enclosure to the rack, then the enclosure provides secure protection, but the assembly and disassembly process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is divided into multiple panels that can be independently attached and detached. Each panel has its own attachment mechanism, allowing for modular assembly and disassembly without requiring the removal of numerous fasteners from a single monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes traditional threaded fasteners entirely from the attachment system. Instead, it extracts the fastening function and replaces it with a snap-fit mechanism using protrusions and recesses that engage without threads, eliminating the time-consuming screwing and unscrewing operations.
2Reliability
If numerous threaded fasteners are used to secure the enclosure, then the attachment is secure, but the complexity of assembly increases due to matching fasteners with receptacles
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism uses asymmetric protrusions and corresponding recesses that can only engage in one orientation. This asymmetric design eliminates the need for workers to figure out which fastener goes into which receptacle, as each protrusion is shaped to fit only its designated recess, simplifying the assembly process while maintaining secure attachment.
3Stability of the object's composition
If traditional fasteners are used for the enclosure, then the structure is stable, but the risk of damage from mis-threading or uneven attachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is designed to prevent mis-threading damage before it can occur. The protrusion-recess geometry inherently guides proper alignment and prevents forced insertion into wrong receptacles, eliminating the risk of cross-threading or damaging threaded holes that plagues traditional fastener systems.
4Ease of operation
If many fasteners are removed and reinserted for inspections, then the enclosure can be opened for safety checks, but the probability of fastener damage or loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism uses simple, easily replaceable protrusions and recesses that can be quickly reengaged without concern for damage. If a protrusion or recess becomes worn or damaged, the simple geometry allows for easy replacement compared to precision-threaded fasteners and receptacles, ensuring continuous operational reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An enclosure formed around a volumetric space in three dimensions affixed shells via blind sliders is disclosed. The space may be formed from a plurality of panels around at least a portion of the volumetric structure. The method and system provide a releasable enclosure around the structure or a rack or the like formed by attaching a plurality of shell components which nest in a sequential pattern over the structure via the blind latching assemblies formed on the interior wall surface of shell components to blind catching assemblies attached to the structure and wherein the latch and catch assemblies releasably affix the enclosure shells to the structure and together without the use of threaded fasteners; and, wherein the shells components are nested and evenly disperse force along the perimeter edges where the shells overlap.