Quarter-Turn Fastener Centering Tabs for Clearance-Free Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing quarter-turn fastening devices for securing parts to supports often experience movement in the plane of the support due to clearance between the holding foot and the opening edge, leading to incorrect assembly and poor holding, especially when the dimensions of the parts vary.
Innovation Solution
A quarter-turn fastening device with a holding foot and flexible retaining tabs that include a lug to fill the space between the holding foot and the opening edge, allowing the device to refocus and prevent movement in the plane of the support, featuring a head with locking elements and guide ribs for secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional quarter-turn fastening device is used with a holding foot, then the device can be inserted through the opening in the support, but clearance between the holding foot and the opening edge causes the device to move in the plane of the support, leading to incorrect assembly and poor holding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible retaining tabs made of elastomeric material that can deform elastically. These tabs are inserted through the opening alongside the holding foot and bend to engage with the support surface, providing reliable holding while accommodating variations in opening dimensions without causing positional movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening device is divided into distinct functional components: a holding foot for axial insertion, flexible retaining tabs for lateral engagement, and a head for rotation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, with the retaining tabs compensating for clearance issues while the holding foot provides precise axial positioning.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fastening device is designed to accommodate various opening dimensions, then versatility is improved, but the clearance between the holding foot and opening edge increases, causing movement in the plane of the support
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening device is designed with a holding foot and flexible retaining tabs that can adapt to a range of opening dimensions. The retaining tabs serve multiple functions: they guide the device during insertion, compensate for clearance through elastic deformation, and provide lateral engagement to prevent in-plane movement, making the device universally applicable while maintaining positional stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible retaining tabs are made of elastomeric material with specific mechanical properties that allow them to deform within a certain range. This parameter change capability enables the tabs to adapt to varying opening dimensions by bending to different degrees, maintaining engagement with the support surface across different sizes while preventing positional drift.
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 device ensures precise positioning and secure holding of parts to supports regardless of the opening dimensions, preventing movement in the plane of the support through the use of flexible tabs and lugs, thereby improving assembly accuracy and stability.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible tab carries a lug to fill the space that may exist between the holding foot and the edge of the opening and thus refocus the fastening device in the opening when it is moved angularly from the insertion position to the locking position
Data Source
AI summary
A quarter-turn fastening device for fastening a part to a support comprising comprises: a head carrying the part and intended to rest on a first face of the support; and a holding foot connected to the head and extending along a main axis, the holding foot configured to penetrate axially into an opening of the support, thereby placing the fastening device in an insertion position. The holding foot comprises at least one flexible retaining tab for resting on a second face of the support when the fastening device is moved angularly from the insertion position to a locking position. The flexible tab carries a lug to fill the space between the holding foot and an edge of the opening and thus refocus the fastening device in the opening when the fastening device is moved angularly from the insertion position to the locking position.