Over-molded Compression Limiter for Bolted Joint Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Single-use compression limiters are expensive due to material costs and tooling requirements, necessitating an improvement in compression limiter technology to reduce costs and enhance functionality.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring a compression limiter over-molded to a part, with an upper and lower U-shaped portion that allows access to central cavities, formed from a thermoplastic elastomer, which can be used to maintain bolted joint integrity and potentially reused.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If single-use compression limiters are used to maintain bolted joint integrity, then joint protection function is achieved, but cost increases due to material and tooling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The compression limiter is integrated with the fastener as a single combined component. The limiter body is formed with a cavity that receives the fastener shaft, and the fastener head engages with the limiter head. This merging eliminates the need for separate replacement parts while maintaining the joint protection function, directly addressing the cost issue of single-use limiters.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables recovery and reuse of the compression limiter after fastener removal. The limiter remains attached to the part while the fastener can be removed and replaced multiple times. This transforms the single-use limiter into a reusable component, significantly reducing material costs over the product lifecycle while maintaining joint integrity protection.
2Ease of repair
If compression limiter is designed as separate replaceable part, then replacement is simple, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression limiter and fastener are merged into a single integrated component with the limiter remaining permanently attached to the part. This reduces the number of separate parts from two (limiter + fastener) to one combined assembly, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining ease of repair through fastener replacement.
3Reliability
If compression limiter material uses thermoplastic elastomer, then joint protection effectiveness improves, but material cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermoplastic elastomer limiter is designed for reuse rather than single-use. By enabling the limiter to remain on the part and be reused across multiple fastener cycles, the higher initial material cost is amortized over many uses, reducing the effective cost per use while maintaining the high joint protection effectiveness that the elastomer material provides.
Data Source
AI summary
A system including a part including a top surface defining a top slot and a bottom surface defining a bottom slot, the top slot and the bottom slot each permitting access from opposite directions to a first central cavity passing through the entire part, and a compression limiter over-molded to the part, the compression limiter including an upper portion defining an upper slot that coincides with the top slot and a lower portion defining a lower slot that coincides with the bottom slot, the upper slot and the lower slot each permitting access from opposite directions to a second central cavity that coincides with the first central cavity.