Polymer Clip Head Geometry for Zero Clearance and Tearing Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clips made of polymer material used for assembling parts are prone to aging, leading to clearance and vibrations between assembled parts, which results in noise pollution and a need for enhanced resistance to tearing and transverse stresses.
Innovation Solution
A male element with a conical head and a female element designed to cooperate without play, featuring symmetrical flat bottom walls and planar side walls, along with a flat support and thinned material zones, to ensure zero clearance and resistance to tearing, while maintaining stability and compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional polymer clips are used for assembling parts, then assembly is rapid and requires low investment in assembly means, but the clips are sensitive to aging leading to clearance and vibrations between parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the clip, specifically the head shape with flat bottom walls forming obtuse angles (100-120 degrees) with side walls, and makes the width greater than height. This parameter change transforms the stress distribution during assembly and service, preventing stress concentration that leads to aging-related deformation and clearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical shape of the head with specific angular geometry provides curved stress distribution paths. The obtuse angles at the transitions between bottom walls and side walls create smoother stress flow compared to sharp corners, reducing stress concentration points that would otherwise lead to premature failure and clearance during aging.
2Productivity
If conventional polymer clips are used for assembling parts, then assembly is rapid and requires low investment in assembly means, but the clips have insufficient resistance to tearing in the clipping direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the head geometry parameters - making width greater than height and creating obtuse angles (100-120 degrees) between bottom walls and side walls. This parameter transformation distributes tensile stresses more evenly across the head structure during tearing, preventing stress concentration at sharp corners and significantly improving tearing resistance while maintaining rapid assembly capability.
3Productivity
If conventional clips are used for assembling parts, then assembly is rapid, but the clips generate vibrations and noise pollution due to clearance between parts
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the head dimensions (width greater than height) and angular parameters (obtuse angles of 100-120 degrees), the patent creates a more stable geometric configuration that maintains constant contact pressure between assembled parts. This prevents the development of clearance over time, thereby eliminating the source of vibrations and noise while preserving rapid assembly benefits.
4Ease of manufacture
If the head shape is conventional, then manufacturing is simpler, but the head undergoes significant deformation during manufacture and has poor resistance to transverse stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The conical head shape with obtuse angles creates smooth, continuous surfaces that are more resistant to deformation during molding and manufacturing processes. The curved geometry distributes manufacturing stresses evenly, preventing warping or distortion, while the specific angular configuration provides inherent resistance to transverse loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the head geometry parameters - specifically the obtuse angles (100-120 degrees) and the width-to-height ratio greater than 1 - to create a structurally superior form that resists both manufacturing deformation and service transverse stresses, while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing processes.
5Length of moving object
If the male element height is reduced for constrained environments, then assembly fits in tight spaces, but the structure may become weaker
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reoptimizes the distribution of height among different components - reducing overall male element height to 13-17mm while maintaining strength through the optimized head geometry (width > height, obtuse angles). The base cross-section increases downward to provide adequate support, compensating for the reduced overall height and maintaining structural integrity in constrained spaces.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention concerns a male component (10) and a female component (20) for assembling by clipping together two parts (2, 3) made of polymer material. The female component (20) comprises tabs (23, 24) of which the ends are formed of inclined flat surfaces (232, 233; 242, 243) which abut against corresponding flat surfaces (111, 112; 121, 122) of the male component (10) when the latter is clipped into the female component (20). These features, and a head (11) which is wider than it is tall of the male component (20), contribute to resistance to pulling-out and to the absence of play in a clipping direction (Z).