Snap-Fit Fastener Assembly for Vibration-Resistant Load Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners used to secure components against gravity, such as those in vehicular applications, often fail due to wear and tear, vibrations, and environmental factors like mud accumulation, leading to frequent replacements and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A fastener assembly comprising a grommet with flexible snaps and a pin, where the grommet has a hollow cylindrical body with a collar and engagement members that snap-fit with the pin to provide secure locking and load distribution, allowing for high service life and resistance to vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fasteners are used to secure components against gravity, then the fasteners can initially hold components together, but they fail due to wear and tear, vibrations, and environmental factors leading to frequent replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into two separate components: a grommet and a pin. The grommet contains flexible snaps that engage with the pin, creating a segmented structure that distributes mechanical stress across multiple contact points rather than concentrating it at a single failure point, thereby improving resistance to wear and tear
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener combines materials with different properties: the grommet uses flexible material for the snaps to allow movement and absorb vibrations, while the pin provides rigid structural support. This composite approach creates a system that resists both static loads and dynamic vibrations, extending service life
2Reliability
If conventional fasteners are used to secure components, then they can initially hold components together, but they are affected by vibrations and environmental factors requiring frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible snaps in the grommet are designed to be dynamic rather than rigid. They can flex and move in response to vibrations, allowing the fastener to adapt to dynamic conditions without failing. This dynamic capability enables the fastener to withstand vibrations and environmental factors, significantly extending the maintenance interval
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible snaps act as a cushioning element that absorbs and dissipates vibration energy before it can transmit damaging forces to the connected components. This beforehand cushioning protects the fastener system from vibration-induced failure, reducing maintenance requirements
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 fastener assembly effectively absorbs high loads and vibrations, offers long service life, and is cost-effective, reducing the need for frequent replacements and maintenance costs in applications like securing vehicle components against gravity.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible snaps are to flex in a radial direction with respect to a central longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
The engagement members are to engage with the pin when inserted into the hollow cylindrical cavity of the body
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener assembly includes a grommet and a pin. The grommet includes a body and a collar. The body has a hollow cylindrical cavity that has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The body includes flexible snaps connected to an exterior surface of the body. The flexible snaps are to flex in a radial direction with respect to a central longitudinal axis. The collar is provided at the second end of the body. The collar includes engagement members that extend from the collar in a direction opposite to the body to engage with the pin. The pin includes a shaft insertable into the body to cooperate with the flexible snaps to prevent radially inward movement of the flexible snaps.