Tapered Slot Bracket for Vehicle Partition Load Dampening
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles, wall-mounted objects attached to flexible partitions face excessive deceleration loads, leading to potential detachment due to mismatched bending capabilities between the object and the partition, causing structural issues.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with a first leg attached to the surface and a second leg attached to the object, featuring a slot that tapers in width to accommodate a fastener, allowing for load dampening through deformation and providing stress relief, and optionally incorporating a shear pin for initial resistance and displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid bracket is used to attach the object to the flexible partition, then the attachment strength is improved, but the bracket cannot accommodate the bending of the partition during deceleration, leading to excessive loads and potential detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket incorporates a slot in the second leg that allows the fastener to move relative to the bracket body. This dynamic feature enables the bracket to adapt to the bending of the flexible partition during deceleration while maintaining attachment strength. The slot provides a range of motion that accommodates the partition's deformation without compromising the rigid connection needed for strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot's geometry is specifically designed with a tapered width that changes along its length. This parameter change allows the fastener to be securely held at certain positions while permitting movement at others, enabling the bracket to transition between rigid and flexible states as needed during deceleration events.
2Ease of manufacture
If the slot width is uniform throughout its length, then manufacturing is simplified, but the fastener cannot be properly retained or allowed to move as needed for load dampening
Solution Approach 1:
The slot is designed with non-uniform width, where different sections have different dimensions. The tapered geometry provides local variations in fastener retention: narrower sections retain the fastener while wider sections allow movement. This local quality differentiation enables both fastener security and controlled displacement without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
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 bracket system effectively dampens deceleration loads by converting displacement into a load-dampening interference fit, preventing structural failure and maintaining attachment of objects to flexible surfaces during vehicle deceleration.
Implementation Method 1
The bracket is configured to dampen deceleration loads applied to the object by converting displacement of the object away from the surface into a load-dampening interference fit between the fastener and the slot in the bracket
Implementation Method 2
When a deceleration load that exceeds a threshold is applied to the object, the bracket may displace relative to the object, shearing off the shear pin
Data Source
AI summary
Brackets for attaching objects to surfaces are described. One bracket includes a first leg that is attachable to the surface and a second leg that is attachable to the object. The object-facing side includes a slot extending through an object facing-side of the second leg. The slot is configured to receive a fastener for attaching the second leg to the object. Along a length of the slot, a width of the slot tapers from a first width at a first position along the length of the slot to a second width at a second position along the length of the slot. The second width is narrower than the first width. Methods for attaching objects to surfaces are also described.