One-Piece Plastic Sliding Block for Noise-Damping Locking Tongues
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding blocks for locking tongues in fittings suffer from issues such as plastic coating wear, complex multi-piece plug-in elements, and mounting difficulties, leading to reduced noise-damping effectiveness and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece plastic sliding block with a base portion, wall portions, and a cover portion, featuring latching means and a resilient design, which can be easily attached and detached from the locking tongue, improving sliding properties and preventing damage to the coated surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic coating is applied to the tongue area, then noise-damping slidability is improved, but the coating is rubbed off during constant opening and closing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic coating is extracted from the locking tongue and transferred to a separate sliding block component. The sliding block is made entirely of plastic material and is releasably attachable to the locking tongue, allowing the plastic noise-damping surface to be replaced without replacing the entire tongue assembly. This resolves the contradiction by preserving the noise-damping function while eliminating wear of the coated surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The material properties are changed by using a resiliently designed plastic sliding block that can elastically encompass parts of the locking tongue. The plastic material provides both noise-damping properties and wear resistance, and the resilient design allows for easy attachment and detachment. This changes the physical state from a coated rigid surface to a resilient plastic component that maintains functionality throughout its service life.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multi-piece plug-in elements are used on the locking tongue, then the tongue area is covered and noise-damping is provided, but mounting complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate plug-in elements are merged into a single one-piece sliding block made of plastic. This integrated component provides the same noise-damping coverage while eliminating the complexity of assembling multiple pieces. The sliding block is designed as a unified structure that can be easily attached to the locking tongue as one component, reducing both mounting complexity and storage requirements.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multi-piece plug-in elements are used, then the tongue area is covered, but mounting problems occur due to twisted positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The multiple plug-in elements are combined into a single monolithic sliding block component. This eliminates the possibility of twisted or incorrect positioning that occurs when assembling multiple separate pieces. The unified structure ensures proper alignment and positioning when attached to the locking tongue, significantly improving mounting ease and reducing assembly errors.
4Ease of manufacture
If a one-piece sliding block is used, then mounting is simplified and costs are reduced, but the structure must accommodate releasable attachment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding block incorporates self-latching features through molded latching means that automatically engage with corresponding features on the locking tongue during assembly. This self-latching mechanism provides releasable attachment without requiring complex fastening systems, maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving the necessary attachment functionality. The resilient design of the sliding block allows it to elastically encompass parts of the locking tongue, facilitating easy attachment and detachment.
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
The solution simplifies mounting, reduces costs, enhances noise-damping functionality, and prevents damage to the coated surface, offering a cost-effective and efficient sliding mechanism for fittings in housings and cabinets.
Implementation Method 1
The sliding block thus contains a rigid portion which receives the free end of the locking tongue and a resiliently designed portion which elastically encompasses parts of the locking tongue
Data Source
AI summary
One-piece sliding block consisting of plastic, in particular for locking tongues of fittings, comprising a base portion, wall portions and a cover portion, wherein the cover portion overlaps a subregion of the base portion so as to form an insert opening for a component that can be operatively connected to the cover portion, and wherein latching means which are moulded onto the cover portion are provided in the region of the sliding block.