Plastic Fastener Assembly With Clean-Break Paddle Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plastic fastener assemblies with continuously connected fastener stock often leave undesirable remnants of severable connectors when individual fasteners are dispensed, which can snag and damage articles, especially fine clothing.
Innovation Solution
A novel plastic fastener assembly featuring a severable connector with a predefined break region of reduced cross-section and notch sensitivity features, such as generally frusto-semi-circular members, to facilitate clean breakage with minimal remnant, reducing the required application force and minimizing snag risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional severable connectors are used in continuously connected fastener stock, then the fasteners can be easily dispensed and connected, but undesirable remnants are left on the paddles after breakage which can snag and damage articles
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is segmented into distinct portions with a predefined break region, where the first portion is attached to the first paddle and the second portion is attached to the second paddle. This segmentation ensures that when the connector breaks at the predefined region, minimal or no remnant is left on either paddle, eliminating the snagging problem while maintaining ease of dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector has non-uniform cross-sectional dimensions along its length, with the predefined break region having a reduced cross-section compared to other portions. This local variation in geometry creates a weak point that facilitates clean breakage, ensuring that the connector separates cleanly without leaving harmful remnants on the paddles.
2Ease of manufacture
If the severable connector has uniform cross-section, then the connector structure is simple to manufacture, but the breakage is not clean and leaves significant remnants
Solution Approach 1:
The connector incorporates a predefined break region with reduced cross-sectional dimensions at a specific location along its length. This local geometric modification creates a controlled weak point that ensures clean breakage when force is applied, significantly reducing or eliminating remnants on the paddles while remaining compatible with standard injection molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is pre-formed during manufacturing with a predefined break region that has reduced cross-section. This preliminary structuring of the break zone ensures that when the connector needs to be severed during dispensing, it will break cleanly at the predetermined location without leaving significant remnants, achieving precise breakage control through advance design.
3Reliability
If the severable connector is made stronger to prevent premature breakage, then connection reliability improves, but more force is required which may damage the article being fastened
Solution Approach 1:
The connector maintains sufficient strength in its main body portions to ensure reliable connection and prevent premature breakage, while the predefined break region is deliberately designed with reduced cross-section to require only moderate force for clean separation. This localized weakness allows the connector to be both strong where needed and easily breakable where intended.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into strong connection portions (first and second portions attached to paddles) and a weak predefined break region. This segmentation allows the majority of the connector structure to maintain high strength for reliable connection, while the small predefined region provides a controlled failure point that breaks with minimal force, preventing damage to the article.
Data Source
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AI summary
Plastic fastener and plastic fastener assembly (51). The plastic fastener assembly (51) may be a length of continuously connected fastener stock and may include a first flexible filament (101) having a first end (119) and a second end (120), a first cross-bar (81) disposed at the first end (119) of the first flexible filament (101), and a first paddle (103) disposed at the second end (120) of the first flexible filament (101). The plastic fastener assembly (51) may further include a second flexible filament (101), the second flexible filament (101) having a first end (119) and a second end (120), a second cross-bar (81) disposed at the first end (119) of the second flexible filament (101), and a second paddle (103) disposed at the second end (120) of the second flexible filament (101). The plastic fastener assembly (51) may further include a first severable connector (107) interconnecting the first and second paddles (103). The first severable connector (107) may include a pair of generally frusto-semi-circular members (181,183) joined to one another at a generally planar break region.