Tilting Washer Fastener for Vehicle Accessory Parallelism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fastening devices fail to effectively compensate for the differences in parallelism and tolerance between vehicle accessories and the vehicle body, leading to inefficient and unsafe installation processes.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device comprising a nut and screw with a washer and seal, where the screw head has a convex outer form complementary to the washer's concave inner form, and a rotatable seal made of thermoplastic elastomer, allowing for adjustments up to 4° deviation between non-parallel surfaces, ensuring secure and efficient attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fastening devices (nut and hollow screw) are used, then the fastening process can be completed, but the device cannot compensate for differences in parallelism and tolerance between the accessory and vehicle body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic adjustment mechanism where the fastening device can adapt its orientation during installation. The device allows rotational movement and angular adjustment to compensate for non-parallel surfaces, transforming a static fastening system into a dynamic one that can self-adjust to tolerance variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the angular parameter of the fastening device during installation. By allowing the device to rotate and adjust its angle relative to the screw axis, it can accommodate parallelism differences up to 4 degrees, effectively using parameter variation to resolve the tolerance compensation problem.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustment for non-parallel surfaces is performed, then parallelism compensation can be achieved, but installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening device is designed to perform its own alignment and adjustment automatically during the fastening process. The operator simply needs to insert the device, and the self-adjusting mechanism handles the parallelism compensation without requiring manual intervention for alignment, thus maintaining efficiency while achieving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates pre-designed adjustment mechanisms that are prepared in advance during manufacturing. The rotational joints and angular adjustment features are built-in, allowing the device to automatically compensate for parallelism issues during installation without requiring preliminary manual adjustment operations.
3Productivity
If repeated fastening operations are performed on assembly line, then manufacturing efficiency increases, but cumulative errors in parallelism compensation become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening device incorporates a feedback mechanism where the actual angular deviation and parallelism errors are detected during each fastening operation. This feedback allows the device to self-correct and maintain consistent precision across multiple operations, preventing cumulative errors from building up during assembly line production.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the fastening device dynamically adjustable with real-time angular correction capabilities, each fastening operation can independently compensate for parallelism errors without being affected by previous operations. This dynamic adjustment resets the reference frame for each operation, eliminating cumulative error accumulation.
4Strength
If rigid fastening components are used, then structural strength is maintained, but frictional wear on vehicle body increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a seal made of flexible thermoplastic elastomer that contacts the vehicle body surface. This flexible material provides the necessary sealing function while reducing frictional wear compared to rigid materials, as it can conform to surface irregularities and reduce abrasive contact during the fastening operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening device uses composite material construction, combining rigid components (metal screw and nut for strength) with flexible components (thermoplastic elastomer seal for wear protection). This composite approach allows the structure to maintain fastening strength while the flexible seal portion protects the vehicle body from frictional wear.
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 device allows for secure fastening of vehicle accessories by compensating for parallelism and tolerance issues, reducing installation time and manufacturing costs while preventing frictional wear on the vehicle body.
Implementation Method 1
said washer is preferably joined to the screw head by means of an elastic joint, for example, by means of at least an adhesive point
Implementation Method 2
said seal is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (to prevent frictional wear on bodywork of the roof of the vehicle)
Implementation Method 3
Conventional fastening devices comprise a nut and a hollow screw. This screw is screwed to the thread of the nut
Data Source
AI summary
The fastening device includes a nut (1) and a screw (2) coupled by being screwed together, the screw (2) being movable with respect to the nut (1), wherein the screw (2) comprises a head (3) provided with a washer (4) able to tilt in any adjustment direction, the axis of the washer (4) able to move within an angle by tilting with respect to the axis of the screw (2). A fastening method includes the steps of vertically introducing the fastening device in a polygonal hole until a seal (6) butts against the roof of the vehicle, and rotating the device in a counterclockwise direction until it butts against the same. The fastening device allows a function of adjustment to be carried out and compensates for the lack of parallelism and tolerance between the fastened accessory and the body of the vehicle.