Screw-Free Fitting Assembly for Shower Rail Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fitting assemblies for installing pipes and rails in shower areas require multiple cumbersome components and screws, which can corrode or become lodged with debris, making installation and adjustment difficult over time.
Innovation Solution
A fitting assembly featuring a clamp with an axially extending split collar and outwardly extending fingers, secured by a bracket with ribs that compress the collar to create a frictional hold, eliminating the need for screws and allowing for easy installation and adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple component parts and small grub screws are used to secure fittings, then the fitting assembly can be attached to surfaces, but the installation procedure becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components (collar, fingers, split structure) into an integrated clamp assembly that functions as a single unit. The collar with axially extending split and fingers work together to provide both secure attachment and quick installation without requiring separate screws or multiple fastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for small grub screws entirely from the fitting assembly. By using a collar-based clamp mechanism with fingers that engage the elongate member directly, the patent removes the screw component that caused installation complexity and time consumption.
2Reliability
If small grub screws are used to secure fittings, then the components can be fastened together, but the screws may corrode over time or become lodged with debris making removal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes screws entirely from the fitting assembly, replacing them with a collar-based clamp mechanism. This eliminates the corrosion and debris lodging problems associated with threaded fasteners, while maintaining secure attachment through friction and mechanical engagement of the collar with the elongate member.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar-based clamp mechanism is designed to be self-adjusting and self-retaining. The split collar structure allows the fingers to naturally engage and secure the elongate member without requiring screws, and the design allows for easy release and repositioning by simply manipulating the collar, enabling maintenance without special tools or complex procedures.
3Ease of operation
If a simple clamp structure is used, then installation is easier, but the clamping force and security of attachment may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the clamping force at specific points where the fingers of the split collar engage the elongate member. The axially extending split structure creates localized high-stress regions that generate strong frictional holding force, while the overall clamp assembly remains simple and easy to install.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is designed with a curved, circumferential structure that wraps around the elongate member. This curved geometry distributes and multiplies the clamping force around the entire perimeter of the member, providing strong secure attachment while maintaining a simple single-piece clamp design that is easy to install.
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 solution simplifies and accelerates the installation of elongate members by using a frictional hold, preventing corrosion and debris issues, and provides a stable and secure attachment to surfaces without the need for screws.
Implementation Method 1
one or more ribs arranged to urge the finger so as to compress the collar portion at the split, thereby clamping the elongate member within the collar
Data Source
AI summary
A fitting assembly for attaching an elongate member to a surface within a shower or bath area includes a clamp including a collar arranged to receive and abut the elongate member, the collar having an axially extending split, the clamp further including a finger extending outwardly from the collar adjacent one side of the split. A cover includes an aperture arranged to receive the elongate member, the cover arranged to retain the clamp within such that the collar is axially aligned with the aperture. A bracket is arranged to be fixed to the surface and to receive and retain the cover containing the clamp, the bracket comprising a receiving portion arranged to urge the finger so as to compress the collar portion at the split, thereby clamping the elongate member within the collar.