Rotating-Pin Fastener for Pre-Assembled Sheet Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening solutions for coupling plastic panels with metal sheets, such as rivets and expanding grommets, require assembly at the time of fixing and can be prone to breaking or result in increased weight and assembly time due to limited tolerance ranges.
Innovation Solution
A fastener system comprising resiliently deformable arms and a rotatable pin with locking legs that allows for pre-assembly by attaching the body to one sheet component, enabling secure attachment to another sheet component with adjustable tolerance ranges, minimizing space and assembly weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rivet or scrivet is used to fix a plastic panel to a metal sheet, then secure attachment is achieved, but assembly time increases and the fastener requires space that increases assembly weight
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener body is pre-assembled to the plastic panel before final attachment to the metal sheet. This preliminary action allows the plastic panel with relatively large tolerances in both axes to be pre-assembled, minimizing required space, assembly weight, and time needed for the final assembly with the metal sheet.
2Area of stationary object
If a rivet or scrivet is pre-assembled to one component, then assembly space is reduced, but the fastener is at risk of breaking before fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The pin is rotatably mounted within the body, allowing the fastener to transition between a compact pre-assembled state and an expanded locked state. The retaining arms are resiliently deformable, allowing them to flex during installation and then lock into place, eliminating the risk of breakage while maintaining compact dimensions.
3Ease of operation
If an expanding grommet is pre-fixed on the metal sheet or plastic panel, then assembly is simplified, but tolerance ranges are limited and metal screws are required increasing weight
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient retaining arms can deform to accommodate a wide range of tolerance variations in the opening dimensions. The rotatable pin mechanism allows the retaining arms to be positioned in different configurations, enabling the fastener to adapt to various tolerance ranges without requiring metal screws or limiting the tolerance range.
4Strength
If a rivet or scrivet is used, then secure fixation is achieved, but the fastener requires space that increases assembly weight
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into separable components: a body that can be pre-assembled to the plastic panel and a pin that is inserted and rotated to lock the retaining arms in place. This segmentation allows the fastener to achieve secure fixation while minimizing the space required, thereby reducing assembly weight.
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
Enables efficient pre-assembly and secure attachment of plastic panels to metal sheets with larger tolerance ranges, reducing assembly time and weight, and minimizing the risk of fastener breakage.
Implementation Method 1
a body comprising a pair of resiliently deformable arms arranged to extend through an opening in the sheet component during use
Implementation Method 2
a pin rotatably mounted within the body and comprising a pair of locking legs, the pin being rotatable between an unlocked position and a locked position
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener, for fixing a sheet component, includes a body with a pair of resiliently deformable arms arranged to extend through an opening in the sheet component during use, and a pin rotatably mounted within the body and including a pair of locking legs, the pin being rotatable between: (i) an unlocked position, in which the retaining arms are deformable to pass through the opening in the sheet component, and (ii) a locked position, in which the locking legs engage the retaining arms to restrict deformation of the retaining arms and secure the fastener to the sheet component.