One-Way Quick Snap Coupling for Air Hose Tamper Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automobile air hose assemblies with spin welding couplings for sensor housings require specialized equipment, generate plastic residues that can be ingested by engines, and have size limitations, while lacking tamper resistance.
Innovation Solution
A one-way quick snap coupling with a female annular collar and male annular collar featuring angled one-way retention teeth, which allows for a simple push-on connection without special equipment, prevents plastic residue generation, and provides tamper resistance by ensuring removal damages the coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spin welding coupling is used to join sensor housing to air hose, then tamper resistance is achieved, but specialized equipment and additional process steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable snap coupling that is destroyed upon attempted removal, providing tamper resistance without requiring specialized equipment. The coupling includes a male collar with retention teeth and a female collar with corresponding engagement features that break upon forced removal attempts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the spin welding mechanical process with a simple snap-fit mechanical coupling that achieves tamper resistance through its structural design rather than through a complex welding process. The coupling uses resilient retention lugs and angled retention teeth to provide secure attachment
2Strength
If spin welding coupling is used to join sensor housing to air hose, then secure connection is achieved, but plastic particles are generated that can be ingested by engine
Solution Approach 1:
The snap coupling is designed as a disposable component that maintains connection strength during normal operation but breaks cleanly upon attempted removal, preventing plastic particle generation in the airflow path
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful plastic particle generation aspect from the coupling process by using a mechanical snap-fit design instead of spin welding, eliminating the source of harmful particles while maintaining connection strength
3Stability of the object's composition
If spin welding coupling is used, then sensor housing is permanently fused, but component size must be large enough for spinning operation
Solution Approach 1:
The snap coupling provides permanent fusion through its structural design with retention teeth and resilient lugs, while being small enough for compact packaging. The coupling is designed to break upon removal attempts rather than requiring large components for spinning operation
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring large components to enable spinning operation, the patent inverts the approach by using a small snap coupling that achieves permanent fusion through its break-away design upon removal attempts
4Ease of operation
If simple push-on coupling is used instead of spin welding, then ease of assembly is improved, but tamper resistance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The snap coupling allows simple push-on assembly like a standard quick connect, but incorporates retention teeth and resilient lugs that break upon removal attempts, providing tamper resistance without compromising assembly ease
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling is segmented into male and female collars with specific engagement features that enable easy assembly but prevent removal, achieving both ease of operation and tamper resistance through structural segmentation
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
Enables a secure, tamper-resistant connection without specialized equipment or plastic residue, suitable for smaller components, ensuring airflow integrity and compliance with emissions regulations.
Implementation Method 1
Each retention lug 44 is resilient and biased by a corresponding one of the retention lugs 44 against the exterior one-way retention teeth 58
Data Source
AI summary
A one-way quick snap coupling includes a female annular collar including a plurality of retention lugs resiliently extending therefrom. Each retention lug has a plurality of interior one-way retention teeth. A male annular collar is receivable within the female annular collar and the male annular collar includes a plurality of exterior one-way retention teeth. The interior and exterior one-way retention teeth have cooperating leading surfaces that are angled to engage and slide past each other in an insertion direction. In addition, the interior and exterior one-way retention teeth have cooperating trailing surfaces that are angled to engage each other in a removal direction and prevent the sensor housing from being uncoupled from the air hose without damaging the one-way quick snap coupling.