Star-Shaped Fastener Ring for Offset Rod Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastener rings for temporarily securing fuel tanks to vehicle chassis rods face challenges with dimensional dispersions, requiring precise axial alignment, which is incompatible with manufacturing tolerances of plastic materials.
Innovation Solution
A fastener ring design featuring star-shaped tabs with a tongue and a rounded radial tip, along with additional offset tabs, allowing for axial offsetting and increased contact surface area, enabling secure temporary fastening regardless of rod position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional fastener rings with symmetric tabs are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the rod must be precisely aligned with the main axis of the ring, which is incompatible with dimensional dispersions of plastic fuel tanks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing tabs with different geometries: star-shaped tabs with rounded radial tips and two radially rounded side cheeks that are asymmetric in shape. This asymmetric design allows the tabs to accommodate rods that are offset from the main axis of the ring, eliminating the need for precise alignment while maintaining manufacturing simplicity. The asymmetric geometry creates varying contact surfaces that can adapt to misaligned rod positions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the rod position is offset from the main axis of the fastener ring, then dimensional dispersions of plastic fuel tanks are accommodated, but the contact surface area between the tab and rod decreases, reducing fastening reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by incorporating curved and concave setback surfaces on the star-shaped tabs, specifically the radially rounded side cheeks and curved setback between the tip and cheeks. These curved surfaces increase the contact area with the rod even when the rod is offset from the main axis. The curvature allows for larger contact surfaces that maintain fastening reliability across a range of rod positions, directly addressing the problem of reduced contact area with offset positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sets of offset tabs are added to accommodate rod dispersion, then position tolerance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the star-shaped tabs to perform multiple functions simultaneously: they provide axial positioning of the rod, accommodate radial offset of the rod from the main axis, and maintain reliable contact through their curved geometry. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple separate tab sets or adjustment mechanisms, achieving high position tolerance while keeping the structure simple and the number of parts minimal.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener ring (1a) for fastening to a rod (201a) on a support (200a), which fastener ring comprises both a body (2a) through which an axial orifice (3) passes that serves to receive said rod (201a), and flexible tabs (4, 5, 6) extending radially towards the main axis (A) of the axial orifice (3) and serving to co-operate with the rod (201a) to hold it stationary axially, the flexible tabs (4, 5, 6) including a set of star-shaped tabs (4), each of which comprises a tongue (40) secured to the body (2a), and extended by a star-shaped head (41) made up of a rounded radial tip (42) and of two radially rounded side cheeks (43) remote from the body (2a), the width (L2) of the tongue (40) being less than the maximum width (L1) of the star-shaped head (41). An assembly comprising a part for assembly (100a) that is provided with such a fastener ring (1a) for fastening to a support provided with at least one rod.