Sheet Metal Fastening with Hooking Sections and Guide Lugs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for assembling sheet-metal parts in electric apparatuses require numerous screws, leading to lengthy assembly times, troublesome disassembly, and generation of abnormal noise due to vibration.
Innovation Solution
A structure featuring L-shaped hooking sections and claws on sheet-metal parts, with assembly guide sections and tapers, allowing for reduced screw-fixing points and enhanced assembly/disassembly capabilities, while maintaining tension to prevent loosening and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a large number of screws are used to fasten sheet-metal parts together, then the fastening strength is improved, but the assembly time increases and disassembly becomes troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into multiple functional components: L-shaped hooking sections provide structural attachment points, hooking claws enable quick engagement, guide lugs ensure proper alignment, and screws provide selective reinforcement. This segmentation allows the majority of fastening points to use quick-connect hooks while only critical points require screws, reducing overall assembly time while maintaining strength
Solution Approach 2:
The L-shaped hooking sections and hooking claws are pre-formed as integral parts of the sheet-metal components during manufacturing. The guide lugs and assembly guide sections are also pre-formed to ensure automatic alignment. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex assembly operations, allowing workers to simply engage the pre-formed features rather than performing multiple fastening steps
2Ease of operation
If the number of screw-fixing points is reduced, then the assembly ability is improved, but the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different fastening locations are assigned different qualities: most locations use hooking claws for quick assembly, while critical locations subject to vibration use reinforced screw-fixing points. The guide lugs provide localized alignment quality to ensure proper engagement. This local differentiation maintains high assembly ability while suppressing noise at critical vibration-prone locations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple fastening mechanisms into a unified system: hooking sections and claws provide the primary quick-connect function, while screws provide reinforcement where needed. The guide lugs and assembly guide sections work together to ensure proper alignment. This merging creates a hybrid system that combines the speed of hook-based fastening with the reliability of screw fastening, achieving both ease of operation and noise suppression
3Ease of operation
If hooking configurations are used to reduce screw-fixing points, then assembly ease is improved, but the risk of loosening increases
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped hooking sections and hooking claws are designed with dynamic engagement characteristics that allow for easy insertion but secure locking upon engagement. The geometry of the L-shape creates a mechanical interlock that resists loosening forces while maintaining ease of assembly. This dynamic design enables the fastening to transition from an easy-to-insert state to a securely locked state
Data Source
AI summary
A chassis 2 as a first sheet-metal part has an L-shaped hooking section 27 formed at a cover mounting opening end of each side plate thereof, and an assembly guide section 28 dimpling inwardly the opening end of the chassis 2 by the thickness of a cover 8; the cover 8 as a second sheet-metal part has a hooking claw 81 extending from each side edge of the cover to the mounting side thereof and engaging with the L-shaped hooking section 27, and a guide lug 82 engaging with the assembly guide section 28, wherein an engaging claw 85 and an engaging hole 102, and a tapped hole 101 and a screw passing-through hole 84 are relatively provided on the abutment faces between the chassis 2 and the cover 8, respectively.