Segmented Shaft Bracket Assembly for Lower Shipping Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brackets for rotating shafts, such as vehicle propshafts, require assembly to the shaft during processing and shipping, leading to space inefficiencies and increased manufacturing and shipping costs due to the larger size of the brackets.
Innovation Solution
A bracket design featuring a base with a mount body and a receiver, where the receiver has tabs that overlap the mount body and are retained by a retainer assembly, allowing the receiver to be assembled onto the shaft independently of the mount body, thus reducing space requirements and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bracket is assembled to the shaft during processing and shipping, then the bracket can be securely mounted to the vehicle, but the space consumed in workstations and during shipping increases, leading to increased manufacturing and shipping costs
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is divided into two separate components: a receiver that fits around the shaft and a mount body that attaches to the vehicle. These components are manufactured and shipped separately, reducing the space required during shipping and storage. The receiver can be pre-assembled onto the shaft independently, while the mount body is attached later at the installation location.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver is pre-assembled onto the shaft before shipping, allowing the shaft to be processed and prepared in advance. The mount body is then attached later at the installation location, eliminating the need to ship the complete assembled bracket and reducing shipping space requirements while ensuring proper mounting reliability.
2Reliability
If the larger bracket is used to mount to the vehicle, then the bracket can be securely installed, but the space in workstations increases, increasing manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket system is segmented into a receiver component that fits around the shaft and a mount body component that attaches to the vehicle. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and handled separately, reducing the workstation space required during manufacturing and assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver is pre-assembled onto the shaft in advance, allowing shaft processing to occur independently. The mount body is then attached later at the installation location, reducing the space and time required in workstations while ensuring secure vehicle mounting.
3Reliability
If the complete bracket assembly is manufactured and shipped together, then assembly reliability is ensured, but shipping costs increase due to larger size
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket system is divided into separate receiver and mount body components that are manufactured and shipped independently. This segmentation significantly reduces the shipping volume and associated costs while maintaining assembly reliability through precise mating features and retention mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver is pre-assembled onto the shaft and shipped separately from the mount body. This preliminary assembly action allows for optimized shipping arrangements and reduces transportation costs while ensuring reliable final assembly through the designed retention features.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for a rotating shaft includes a base and a retainer assembly. The base has a mount body and a receiver, first and second tabs extending from receiver and overlapping spaced apart portions of the mount body. The retainer assembly has a first retainer and a second retainer that overlap the tabs and trap the tabs against the mount body to hold the receiver on the mount body, and the first retainer overlaps part of the second retainer and the second retainer overlaps part of the first retainer to maintain the positions of the retainers relative to the mount body and receiver.