Rail Fastening Assembly With Expanding Clamp for One-Side Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fastening devices for attaching components to rails, such as ceiling hangers, are time-consuming and costly due to the need for clamping projections from both sides, making assembly cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device with an expanding body and support body that allows for attachment from below, featuring an adjustment mechanism to transition between a waiting and fastening position, enabling quick and cost-effective assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fastening devices clamp projections from both sides, then reliable fixation is achieved, but assembly becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of clamping the projections from both sides (top and bottom), the invention inverts the approach by clamping only from below. The clamp engages the projections at the bottom side, allowing the fastening device to be secured to the rail without requiring access to both sides, thereby simplifying assembly while maintaining reliable fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the unnecessary complexity of two-sided clamping by removing the top clamping mechanism. Only the essential bottom clamping is retained, which is sufficient to secure the fastening device reliably to the rail while significantly reducing assembly time and complexity.
2Reliability
If bending tabs are used for fixing, then secure attachment is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex mechanical process of bending tabs with a simpler clamp-based system. Instead of requiring manual bending operations to secure the attachment, a pre-formed clamp with elastic arms provides the necessary securing force through elastic deformation, eliminating the time-consuming bending process while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic arms of the clamp automatically engage with the projections when the clamp is positioned on the rail, providing self-securing functionality. The elastic deformation of the arms creates automatic locking without requiring additional manual operations like bending, making the assembly process simpler and faster while ensuring secure attachment.
3Stability of the object's composition
If two-sided clamping is used, then stable fixation is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention simplifies the device structure by extracting and removing the top clamping mechanism from the two-sided clamping system. The remaining bottom clamping mechanism with elastic arms maintains sufficient fixation stability while significantly reducing the overall device complexity and the number of components required.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic arms provide self-adjusting clamping force that automatically adapts to the projections, eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms or multiple fastening points. This self-service capability maintains stable fixation with a simpler device structure compared to rigid two-sided clamping systems.
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 facilitates simple, rapid, and economical attachment of components to rails by expanding laterally onto the legs and bracing against the base, providing tensile and compressive stiffness, and preventing unintentional loosening.
Implementation Method 1
The fastening device has two elastic arms which can be inserted into the legs and/or sections of the projections
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Fastening device for attaching at least one component (40) to a rail (10) having a base (12) and two legs (14) extending from the base (12) and oriented parallel to each other with projections (16) facing towards each other, comprising a fixing device (22) for fixing the component (40) to the fastening device, a spreading body (24) with two spreading sections (26) for spreading against the base (12) sections (18) of the projections (16) and/or against the legs (14), a support body (32) for supporting against the base (12), and an adjusting device (38) for adjusting the fastening device between a waiting position and a fastening position, preferably offset by 90° from the waiting position, in which the spreading sections (26) are spread and the support body (32) is supported.