Sink Fastener with Guide Member for One-Handed Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sink fastening systems require a two-handed operation and are cumbersome when installing a sink unit with an outer flange into a countertop opening, as the claw and sink bolt are free to move and rotate, making it difficult to pass through the cutout and requiring both hands to tighten the fastener.
Innovation Solution
A sink fastener design featuring a frame attached to the sink unit's ball wall, a rotatably mounted threaded vertical bolt, a claw member that rises to engage the countertop, and a guide member for one-handed operation, allowing the claw to retract for easy insertion and extend for secure engagement, with a spring tab for retention and a stud retention clip for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the claw and sink bolt are free to move and rotate, then the fastener can be adjusted during installation, but it becomes difficult to pass through the cutout and requires two hands to tighten
Solution Approach 1:
The claw member is designed to transition between a retracted position (allowing passage through cutout) and an extended engaged position (providing secure fastening). The guide member enables this dynamic transformation, allowing the claw to rotate and extend automatically as the bolt is threaded, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary mechanism that controls the claw's movement. It guides the claw from a retracted state during insertion to an extended engaged state during fastening, mediating between the bolt's rotational motion and the claw's positional changes, thereby enabling one-handed operation while maintaining adjustability
2Reliability
If both hands are required to tighten the fastener, then proper tightening can be achieved, but the installation process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is designed to be self-servicing during installation. As the installer threads the bolt with one hand, the guide member automatically guides the claw to extend and engage with the countertop, and the spring member provides automatic tensioning. This eliminates the need for a second hand to manipulate the claw, reducing installation complexity while maintaining reliable fastening
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is pre-configured to automatically guide the claw into the correct engaged position as the bolt is threaded. This preliminary positioning action occurs automatically during the tightening process, ensuring proper fastening geometry is achieved without requiring manual intervention beyond operating the bolt, thereby simplifying the installation process
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 one-handed installation of sink units with reduced on-site labor and simplified installation processes by allowing the sink to be easily inserted and securely fastened to the countertop with minimal installer intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a threaded vertical bolt rotatably mounted within the frame and allowing provision for rotation of the bolt; a claw member having a lateral portion threadably mounted on the vertical bolt and an upstanding retainer portion, wherein rotation of the vertical bolt causes the claw member to rise up the bolt
Data Source
AI summary
A sink fastener for fastening a sink unit with an outer flange within an opening in a countertop is provided. The sink fastener includes a frame for attachment to a bowl wall of the sink unit, a threaded vertical bolt rotatably mounted within the frame, a claw member having a lateral portion threadably mounted on the vertical bolt and an upstanding retainer portion, and a guide member for constraining the movement of the claw member. In use, rotation of the vertical bolt causes the claw member to rise up the bolt to engage an underside of the countertop, and in a lower disengaged position the claw member is free to turn about a vertical axis into a retracted position wherein the claw member lies constrained under the flange to permit insertion of the sink unit into the countertop opening. The guide member ensures that as the claw member rises up the bolt the claw member turns about the vertical axis into a constrained outwardly extended position for engagement with the underside of the countertop.