Panel Fastener with Rotating Pin for Pre-Assembled Sheet Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening solutions for coupling plastic panels with metal sheets, such as rivets and expanding grommets, require assembly at the time of fixing and can be prone to breaking or result in increased weight and assembly time due to limited tolerance ranges.
Innovation Solution
A fastener system comprising a body with a head portion and a tab that allows pre-assembly by attaching the body to a sheet component, with retaining arms that deform to pass through a hole and snap back into position, enabling secure attachment of a pin to the body and subsequent locking to the sheet component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rivet or scrivet is used to fix a plastic panel to a metal sheet, then the fastening is secure, but assembly time is increased due to the need to position and fasten the rivet or scrivet at the time of fixing
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener body is pre-assembled to the plastic panel before final installation, allowing the complex positioning and preparation work to be done in advance. This separates the pre-assembly phase from the final fixation phase, reducing on-site assembly time while maintaining secure fastening through the subsequent pin insertion and locking steps
2Loss of time
If a rivet or scrivet is pre-assembled to one component, then assembly time may be reduced, but the risk of breaking increases before fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into separate components: the body that attaches to the plastic panel, and the pin that is inserted later. This segmentation allows the body to be pre-assembled safely without the brittle pin attached, reducing breakage risk during handling while enabling time-efficient final assembly through simple pin insertion
3Ease of operation
If space is allocated for a pre-assembled rivet or scrivet, then assembly may be simplified, but assembly weight and required space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pin component is extracted from the pre-assembly process and added only during final installation. This allows the plastic panel with the attached body to be lighter and more compact during storage and transport, while the complete fastening function is achieved when the pin is inserted at the installation location
4Reliability
If an expanding grommet is pre-fixed on the metal sheet or plastic panel, then fixation may be achieved, but tolerance ranges are limited and metal screws are typically required resulting in higher weight
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener uses a lightweight plastic body and pin combination that can be pre-assembled and installed efficiently. The design accepts larger tolerance ranges compared to rigid expanding grommets, and the entire fastener can be made from lightweight materials, reducing assembly weight while maintaining reliable fixation through the deformation and locking mechanism
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 pre-assembly with larger tolerance ranges, reducing assembly time and weight, and ensuring secure fixation by allowing the fastener to be mounted independently of the pin, which can be locked in place to prevent disengagement.
Implementation Method 1
the retaining arms of the body may be pressed through a hole formed in the further sheet material by deforming as it passes through the hole, and snap back into position once secured to the further sheet component
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The present invention provides for a fastener for fixing a sheet component, the fastener comprising: a body comprising a pair of resiliently deformable arms arranged to extend through an opening in the sheet component during use, and a pin rotatably mounted within the body and comprising a pair of locking legs. The pin is rotatable between: an unlocked position, in which the retaining arms are deformable to pass through the opening in the sheet component, and a locked position, in which the locking legs engage the retaining arms to restrict deformation of the retaining arms and secure the fastener to the sheet component.