Wire Strap Buckle Flattened Tracks Slippage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing strap buckles are prone to slippage under heavy loads and require precise notch formation to maintain parallelism, which complicates the manufacturing process and limits their ability to secure heavier goods.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a strap buckle involving a single piece of wire with end sections displaced in a radial direction, featuring flattened tracks on the distal legs that are angled to enhance contact with the strap, reducing slippage and increasing the buckle's mechanical resistance by creating a larger contact surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If notches are formed on the intermediate wire portions to maintain parallelism and prevent slippage, then the reliability of the buckle is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirement increases and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the intermediate wire portions with notches from the buckle structure, retaining only the distal legs with flattened tracks. This extraction eliminates the need for precise notch formation while maintaining slippage prevention functionality through the flattened tracks on the distal legs that contact the strap directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies localized flattening to specific regions of the distal legs where the strap contacts the buckle. This local quality change creates enhanced friction and contact surface area precisely where needed for slippage prevention, without requiring modifications to the entire wire structure or intermediate portions.
2Strength
If the buckle is designed to secure heavier goods with higher strap tensions, then the strength of the buckle is improved, but the reliability decreases due to increased slippage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the distal legs by creating flattened tracks through plastic deformation. This parameter change increases the contact surface area and friction coefficient between the buckle and strap, enabling the buckle to maintain reliability under higher loads and tensions required for securing heavier goods.
3Manufacturing precision
If a precise notch formation process is used to maintain parallelism, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the intermediate wire portions that require notch formation, simplifying the manufacturing process to only require flattening of the distal legs. This extraction of problematic components dramatically improves ease of manufacture while standard stamping and bending processes maintain the necessary parallelism and geometric accuracy.
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 method simplifies the manufacturing process, enhances the buckle's mechanical properties, and significantly reduces slippage, allowing for higher operational loads before strap failure, enabling secure fastening of heavier goods.
Implementation Method 1
stamping the elongate wire member to have end sections which are each parallel to and transversely displaced with respect to a mid-section part... creating a first flattened longitudinal track on the stamped elongate wire member
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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Figure 7~9
AI summary
A buckle manufactured from a single piece of wire having a first U-shaped portion including a first distal leg (12) formed from one end of the piece of wire, a first proximal leg (14) and a first bight (15); a second U-shaped portion including a second distal leg (13) formed from the other end of the piece of wire, a second proximal leg (16) and a second bight (17); an intermediate wire portion (18) connecting the proximal leg of each U-shaped portion; the two proximal legs (14, 16) and intermediate wire portion (18) lying in a first plane of the buckle and having a U-shaped configuration; the two distal legs (12, 13) lying parallel to each other in a second plane of the buckle and parallel to the two proximal legs (14, 16); the bights (15, 17) extending from the first plane to the second plane, wherein flattened tracks (5) are provided on the first and second distal legs (12, 13).