Panel Through-Hole Frame Clamping for Secure Anti-Loosening Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional frames supporting through-holes in panels are prone to untimely disengagement and looseness due to frequent handling and manufacturing defects, affecting the stability and aesthetic quality of the assembly.
Innovation Solution
A device with clamping elements featuring arms and tabs that exert forces to flatten the frame against the panel, using a dual wall structure with cutouts and ribs for secure engagement, and assembly means like screws or rivets to maintain the frame's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a frame is mounted with a tight fit in a through-hole without additional connecting elements, then the structural simplicity is improved and no particular dexterity is required for installation, but the frame is prone to untimely disengagement and looseness due to frequent handling and manufacturing defects
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into two walls (first wall and second wall) with a gap between them, allowing independent movement and clamping action. This segmentation enables the frame to be divided into functional zones: one wall engages with the through-hole while the other is clamped by the clamping element, resolving the contradiction by maintaining simplicity through modular design while improving reliability through distributed clamping forces
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping element incorporates a movable arm that can be positioned and locked against the second wall of the frame. This dynamic component allows the frame to transition from a static tight-fit configuration to an actively clamped state, preventing disengagement while maintaining ease of installation through a simple locking mechanism
2Ease of manufacture
If the fit between the through-hole and the frame is not perfect due to manufacturing defects or material deformability, then the manufacturing ease is improved, but looseness occurs between the frame and through-hole damaging quality and aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping force applied by the clamping element dynamically adjusts the contact parameters between the frame and through-hole. By applying sufficient clamping force, the system compensates for dimensional variations and material deformability, ensuring consistent fit quality regardless of manufacturing tolerances while maintaining ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping element pre-compresses the frame against the through-hole before any loosening can occur during handling. This prior cushioning effect prevents the propagation of manufacturing defects into functional problems, ensuring that minor imperfections do not lead to looseness or aesthetic defects
Data Source
AI summary
A device for fixing a frame in a through-hole extending between two opposite faces of a panel the frame including a peripheral wall having an upper and lower edges and configured to cover a structure of the panel delimiting the through-hole the upper edge including an edge configured to rest against a first face of the panel, wherein the device includes a clamping element including an arm integral with a perpendicular tab and an assembly structure configured to secure the tab on the second face of the panel in the vicinity of the through-hole, the arm configured to exert, a force on the peripheral wall adapted to flatten the peripheral wall against the structure of the panel defining the through-hole and to exert a force on a stop of the peripheral wall adapted to flatten the ledge of the frame against the first face of the panel when the tab is fixed on the second face of the panel.