Fastener With Segmented Flanges For Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fasteners fail to balance high closure strength with ease of installation and removal, while also minimizing noise from vibrations in applications like the automotive industry.
Innovation Solution
A unitarily formed fastening element with a gripping portion, supporting portion, and anchoring portion, featuring a crosspiece and protrusions that provide an interference fit and chamfers for secure anchoring without flanges on all sides, allowing for easy installation and removal, and designed to reduce noise through a specific geometric configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional fastening methods (hot-melt glue, sonic welds, screws) are used to secure fasteners, then the fasteners can be firmly attached, but they generate harmful vibrations and noise under varying stresses and loads
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element is divided into distinct functional portions: a gripping portion with gripping elements, a supporting portion with supporting-portion walls, and an anchoring portion. This segmentation allows each portion to optimize its specific function - the gripping portion provides strong attachment, the supporting portion maintains structural integrity, and the anchoring portion secures the fastener in place, collectively reducing vibration and noise while maintaining closure strength.
2Reliability
If fasteners are designed for high closure strength and vibration resistance, then they hold tightly under stress, but they become difficult to remove when servicing is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element incorporates a raised portion on the crosspiece that can interact with a housing or recess in the substrate. This dynamic feature allows the fastener to be securely retained during normal operation (providing reliable fastening) while enabling controlled removal when needed (facilitating servicing). The raised portion can engage with corresponding features to prevent accidental removal while allowing intentional extraction.
3Stability of the object's composition
If fasteners use flanges on all sides for secure attachment, then they provide stable support, but they increase device complexity and manufacturing difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element applies flanges locally only where needed for stability and support, rather than uniformly on all sides. The supporting portion includes supporting-portion walls that provide localized reinforcement and stability. This localized approach maintains fastening stability in critical areas while reducing overall structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty compared to full-perimeter flange designs.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~6
AI summary
A fastening element (1) is provided having a gripping portion (5), a plurality of gripping elements (20) extending from the gripping portion (5), a supporting portion (10) being defined by at least one supporting-portion wall (11) extending from the gripping portion (5) in a direction opposite that of the gripping elements (20), the supporting portion (10) having a supporting-portion width (SPW) smaller than a gripping-portion width (GPW) of the gripping portion (5), such that a top flange (12) is formed by the gripping portion (5) relative to the supporting portion (10) on at least one side of the fastening element (1), and an anchoring portion (15) extending from a distal end of at least one supporting-portion wall (11) and parallel to the gripping portion (5) so as to form a bottom flange (35) relative to the supporting portion (10) on the at least one side corresponding to the top flange (12).