Panel Fastener Structure for Secure Release in Narrow Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fasteners used for connecting panels in vehicles often face challenges in secure connection and easy removal, especially in narrow mounting spaces, where they may not provide sufficient flexibility or ease of disassembly.
Innovation Solution
A fastener design comprising a mounting base with an accommodating cavity and a mounting slot, and an insert portion with a neck and head portion, allowing for a locked and unlocked state, featuring a connecting portion for flexibility and an elastic portion for secure engagement, enabling secure connection and convenient removal in narrow spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a fastener uses a rigid structure for secure connection, then connection strength is improved, but ease of removal and flexibility in narrow spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into multiple functional segments: a mounting base with accommodating cavity, an insert portion with neck and head, and a connecting portion. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function independently - the head provides secure anchoring while the neck enables flexible insertion and removal operations, resolving the contradiction between connection strength and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener incorporates dynamic characteristics through the neck portion that can deform elastically during insertion and removal. The neck transitions between constrained and unconstrained states, allowing the fastener to maintain strong connection when installed while enabling easy removal when needed, thus resolving the rigidity-f flexibility contradiction.
2Reliability
If a fastener is designed for secure connection in narrow spaces, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential functional elements needed for reliable connection in narrow spaces - a compact mounting base with cavity, a tapered neck for insertion, and a head for anchoring - while removing unnecessary complex mechanisms. This extraction achieves reliable connection through simple geometric forms rather than complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the fastener have locally optimized qualities: the mounting base provides stable anchoring, the neck provides flexible insertion capability with varying cross-sections for guidance and retention, and the head provides secure engagement. This local optimization achieves reliable connection without requiring overall system complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If a fastener uses a simple structure for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but adaptability to various mounting environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener design achieves universality through its modular structure and geometric features. The mounting base with accommodating cavity can adapt to different panel thicknesses, the tapered neck can be inserted through various hole sizes, and the head can engage with different mounting surfaces. This multi-functionality is achieved through simple geometric forms that can accommodate a range of mounting conditions without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener includes a mounting base and an insert portion. The mounting base includes an accommodating cavity having an accommodating cavity opening and a mounting slot located above the accommodating cavity having a width that is smaller than a width of the accommodating cavity. The insert portion includes a retaining portion, a neck portion connected to the retaining portion, and a head portion disposed between the retaining portion and the head portion. The head portion is configured to be received within the accommodating cavity by the accommodating cavity opening. The neck portion is configured such that at least a portion of the neck portion is received by the mounting slot when the head portion is received by the accommodating cavity.