Resilient Retaining Clip With Protrusions For Low-Force Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle part clips require high assembly force, which is inconvenient and potentially exceeds safety limits, while low force connections may lead to weak attachments that fail during collisions, causing vibrations and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A retaining clip with protrusions on resilient legs that compress and expand to engage with a receiving connection, reducing the force required for assembly and providing a secure attachment without excessive force, featuring a widening shape and guided protrusions for easy insertion and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the assembly force is increased to ensure strong connection and safety, then the connection strength and safety are improved, but the ergonomics and convenience for assembly personnel deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The clip is divided into a body portion and two resilient legs that can be independently compressed. The resilient legs are segmented to allow selective deformation, enabling the connection function to be achieved through localized compression rather than requiring high force across the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient legs incorporate dynamic elements that allow the clip to adapt its stiffness during assembly. Initially, the legs are compliant and easy to compress into the receiving connection. Once positioned, the resilient nature of the legs provides automatic engagement force to secure the connection, eliminating the need for consistently high assembly force.
2Ease of operation
If the assembly force is decreased to improve ergonomics and safety for personnel, then the ease of operation is improved, but the connection strength and safety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient legs provide self-service by automatically generating engagement force once compressed into the receiving connection. The elastic deformation of the legs creates a restoring force that secures the connection without requiring additional assembly force or complex locking mechanisms, ensuring both ease of assembly and connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip utilizes parameter changes in the resilient legs, where the material properties and geometric configuration are designed to provide low compression resistance during insertion but high retention force during engagement. The resilient legs transition from a compliant state during assembly to a locked state during operation, achieving both ease of assembly and strong connection.
3Strength
If the resilient legs are spaced further apart to provide stronger connection, then the connection strength is improved, but the force required for compression increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clip applies local quality by concentrating the connection function at specific engagement points on the resilient legs rather than requiring uniform spacing across the entire structure. The protrusions and receiving connections are strategically positioned to provide strong local engagement, allowing the legs to be closer together while maintaining connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a dimensional change by adding protrusions on the resilient legs that engage with corresponding features in the receiving connection. This vertical engagement dimension complements the horizontal spacing, allowing stronger connections with reduced leg spacing by utilizing multi-dimensional engagement rather than relying solely on lateral separation.
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 clip achieves adequate assembly strength with reduced assembly force, improving ergonomics and safety by providing a secure connection that meets legal requirements without excessive force, minimizing vibrations and ensuring component retention during collisions.
Implementation Method 1
The resilient legs are compressible towards each other so that they may be forced into a receiving connection of a component to be connected. The shape of the retaining clip is such that as the legs are forced into the receiving connection they are further compressed towards each other by the contact with the receiving connection of the connecting component. The retaining clip is shaped such that when the retaining clip is sufficiently far into the receiving connection the compression force is relieved and the resilient legs are resiliently moved away from each other whereby the resilient legs engage in the receiving connection
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 1E~1G
AI summary
The present invention relates to a retaining clip (100) for connecting to a component, the retaining clip comprising: a first resilient leg (104) and a second resilient leg (106) adapted to be compressible towards each other for insertion into a receiving connection member (102) of the component, and to engage with the receiving connection member by a resulting relative resilient motion of the first resilient leg and the second resilient leg away from each other, wherein each resilient leg includes at least one protrusion (110) configured to engage in the receiving connection member.