Closure system for connecting workpieces

Abstract

A system and method for connecting two or more workpieces are provided. In this regard, the closure is designed to attach the workpieces together by operating the closure from one side of the workpiece, while the use of the closure in the workpiece only requires that an opening be provided, and therefore requires no other machining on the workpiece itself. The closure is also designed to induce a force perpendicular to the workpiece by rotation when the closure is fixed to the workpiece, in order to hold the workpieces together.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for connecting two or more workpieces. More specifically, the present invention includes a closure for connecting two or more workpieces and a method of using such a closure for connecting two or more workpieces.

Background Art

[0002] A quarter-turn closure is a broad category of structural elements that enables attaching two or more workpieces together. The drawbacks of quarter-turn closures commercially available today are that one or more of the following problems often occur when using them. Often, both sides of the workpiece must be accessible to fit into the quarter-turn closure. In some cases, the quarter-turn closure provides only one or some of high clamp tension, high tensile tension, or high shear tension. In many cases, difficult operations such as threading the quarter-turn closure or otherwise connecting parts to the workpiece are required.

[0003] Therefore, there is room for a closure that solves one or more of the above problems.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of embodiments according to the present invention is to provide a system and a method for connecting two or more workpieces.

[0005] This object is achieved by the system and method according to the present invention.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention is a closure for connecting at least two workpieces to be attached together, The closure is designed to hold the workpieces together by operating the closure from one side of the workpiece, while the use of the closure in the workpiece only requires that one or more openings be provided, and therefore requires no other machining of the workpiece itself, and The closure relates to a closure characterized in that it is designed to induce a force perpendicular to the workpiece by rotation when the closure is fixed to the workpiece, so as to hold the workpiece together.

[0007] The closure may be, for example, a quarter-turn closure, which can be changed between an open and closed state by rotating its components relative to each other over a substantially 90° angle, and embodiments of the present invention also include a closure in which the change between an open and closed state is induced by rotating a portion of the closure over a different angle, such as, for example, 120°, but is not limited to.

[0008] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure can be made to operate as a single element, resulting in a simpler mating process.

[0009] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure can be handled from one side, thereby eliminating the need for the back side of the parts to be joined together to be accessible from that side for assembly. In other words, the closure according to the embodiments of the present invention can be provided without the need to fit a second part (relative) to the other side of the workpieces to be joined together, in which case the first part interacts with the second part.

[0010] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure provides high shear resistance, high clamping force, and tensile force. In this way, the workpieces come together to form a robust structure in which the workpieces are neither easily sheared from one another nor easily separated from one another.

[0011] Because the number of components is limited, the risk of losing components in a closure is reduced, and may even be avoided.

[0012] The closure may comprise a first component, a second component, and a rolling element, the first component, the second component, and the rolling element being designed and positioned such that the rolling element moves around an inclined plane by rotating the first component and the second component relative to each other within a reference plane, and the first component and the second component move in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane relative to each other.

[0013] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure provides a sufficiently large clamping force, thereby preventing the connected parts from coming apart from each other, that is, eliminating gaps between workpieces and preventing the workpieces from sliding against each other.

[0014] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure resists high tensile forces. In other words, when the closure is installed to connect two parts to each other, high tensile forces can be applied to both parts before the parts come apart.

[0015] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure resists shear forces well, that is, two parts attached together by the closure according to one embodiment of the present invention do not slide against each other, or slide very little.

[0016] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure allows for a combination of high clamping force, resistance to high tensile force, and resistance to shear force on the connected workpiece.

[0017] The rolling element may fall into a notch on an inclined plane during the relative rotation of the first and second parts toward the closed position, and when the closure reaches its closed position, it generates a clicking sound within the closure.

[0018] An advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the user can clearly perceive when the closure is engaged in its closed position. A further advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that the closure itself cannot easily come loose, for example, in the event of vibration.

[0019] The closure may include a spring load element between the first and second parts of the closure to induce a clamping force on the workpiece.

[0020] The spring load element may be a disc spring or a leaf spring. In some embodiments, the spring load element may also be a spring ring, a corrugated spring ring, a coil spring, ..., or an element having a similar function.

[0021] The rolling element can be a ball.

[0022] The closure can be made of 50%, or for example, 75%, plastic.

[0023] The closure may be provided with an ergonomic knob to induce rotation of the closure between its open and closed positions.

[0024] In some embodiments, such ergonomic knobs may be omitted and replaced with closure elements that can be operated using a tool, such as a specific tool that prevents anyone from easily opening or closing the closure. This may constitute an additional form of security where necessary for certain structures.

[0025] In some embodiments, the closure is provided with a closing element on one side, which allows the first and second parts to rotate relative to each other by manipulating the closing element with a specific tool.

[0026] The advantages of the present disclosure can be applied without drawing wires on the elements or providing chamfers, thus eliminating the need for post - processing on the workpiece.

[0027] The closure can be designed to attach workpieces having a total thickness of 1 mm to 300 mm together. For this purpose, for example, additional spacer elements can be used in the closure. In this case, one or more spacer elements can be used depending on the total thickness of the workpiece. By using such spacer elements, it can be ensured that the clamping force provided by the closure is always within the desired range.

[0028] One or more sealing means can be provided in the closure.

[0029] In a further aspect, the present invention also relates to a structure comprising the closure described above and two workpieces attached together by the closure.

[0030] The two workpieces can be provided with openings, and in at least one of the workpieces, the opening is not rotationally symmetric and has a shape through which at least a part of the closure fits, and after rotation, this part of the closure can be clamped to the workpiece.

[0031] In another aspect, the present invention also relates to the use of a closure for connecting two or more workpieces.

[0032] The specific and preferred embodiments of the present invention are included in the appended independent and dependent claims. The features of the dependent claims can be combined, as appropriate, with the features of the independent claims and the features of other dependent claims, and are not limited to those explicitly described in the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033] [Figure 1]This shows a cross-sectional view of a quarter-turn closure at the level of the rotating element of the quarter-turn closure in the open state, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Another cross-sectional view of a quarter-turn closure in the closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] This shows a representation of the separated, quarter-turn closure components according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This illustrates a representation of a separated, quarter-turn closure and the components of a workpiece that are mounted together, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] The present invention is described with respect to specific embodiments, but is not limited thereto and is limited only by the claims.

[0035] When used in the claims, the terms “includes” and “compose” should not be construed as limiting to the means described thereafter, nor should they exclude other elements or steps. Therefore, they should be interpreted as identifying the presence of the described feature, value, step, or referenced component, and not as excluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, values, steps, or components, or groups thereof. Accordingly, the expression “device including means A and B” should not be limited to a device consisting solely of components A and B. This expression means, with respect to the present invention, that A and B are the only relevant components of the device.

[0036] Throughout this specification, any reference to “one embodiment” or “one embodiment” means that certain features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to an embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, occurrences of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in one embodiment” in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, although such instances may occur. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, certain features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner based on this disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0037] Similarly, in the description of exemplary embodiments of the Invention, it should be recognized that various features of the Invention may be grouped into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects. In any case, the method of this disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the Invention requires more features than those expressly stated in each claim. Rather, aspects of the Invention, as reflected in the following claims, exist in fewer features than all the features of the previously disclosed single embodiment combined. Accordingly, the claims following the detailed description are expressly incorporated into this detailed description, and each claim stands independently as a separate embodiment of the Invention.

[0038] Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments, they do not include other features, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments. For example, any of the embodiments described in the following claims may be used in any combination.

[0039] It should be noted that the use of specific terms when describing particular features or embodiments of the present invention should not be considered to imply that the terms herein are redefined to be limited to specific features of the features or embodiments of the invention to which the terms relate.

[0040] While descriptions often refer to quarter-turn closures in which the change between the open and closed states of the closure is typically induced by rotating a portion of the closure by 90°, embodiments of the present invention also relate to closures in which the change between the open and closed states is induced by rotating a portion of the closure by a different angle, such as, for example, more than 120°, but not limited to these embodiments.

[0041] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a closure for connecting at least two workpieces to be mounted together. Thus, the two workpieces are typically components of a structure. While the typical structures in which the closure can be used are not limited, the closure may have certain additional advantages in applications requiring high shear resistance and high clamping and tensile forces. Furthermore, the closure may also offer certain additional advantages in structures where access to both sides of the workpieces to be connected together is restricted. The closures of the present invention are designed to mount the workpieces together by operating the closure from one side of the workpieces, and are designed to induce a force perpendicular to the workpieces by rotation when the closure is fixed to the workpieces to hold the workpieces together.

[0042] In advantageous embodiments, the closure comprises a first component, a second component, and rolling elements, which are designed and positioned such that the rolling elements move around an inclined plane by rotating the first and second components relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane. Both the first and second components may further consist of separate components mounted together or components that are partially separated and partially mounted. In some embodiments, the inclined plane may be obtained by providing the first or second component with a groove of variable depth, within which the rolling elements move by rotating the first and second components relative to each other, thereby causing the rolling elements to push the first and second components slightly or greatly apart, and thus causing a relative displacement of the first and second components perpendicular to the direction of rotation. This allows the workpieces to be clamped together.

[0043] Figures 1 and 2 show, as examples—not limited thereto—possibilities of the present invention, a possible embodiment of a closure, in this case an example of a quarter-turn closure. These figures show the closure in the open and closed positions.

[0044] In the closure according to the present invention, at least one part of the closure component has a non-rotationally symmetric shape, so that the part can be inserted through a non-rotationally symmetric opening in at least one of the workpieces, rotated, and then clamped to the back of the workpiece.

[0045] In some embodiments, the rolling element may be a ball.

[0046] In some embodiments, the closure may be provided to produce a click sound when the closure reaches its closed position. This enhances usability by informing the user that the closure is closed. One possible way to achieve this is to cause the rolling element to drop into a notch during the relative rotation of the first and second parts.

[0047] In some embodiments, the closure includes a spring load element between a first and second component of the closure to induce a clamping force on the workpiece. Such a spring load element may be, for example, a leaf spring, but other spring load elements such as corrugated rings, wire springs, or disc springs may also be used.

[0048] In some embodiments, the closure may provide a sealing effect to one or more sides of the workpiece. For this purpose, one or more sealing means can be used. These sealing means may be sealing rings. The sealing means can be made of, for example, EPDM, FKM, silicone, Buna-N, etc.

[0049] In some embodiments, the closure also includes a spacer element that allows the closure to be adapted to connect to workpieces having different total thicknesses. Depending on the spacer element, workpieces having different total thicknesses can still be efficiently mounted together in this case. Thus, it is possible to mount workpieces with total thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 300 mm together.

[0050] Figures 3 and 4 further illustrate examples of different components of a sample quarter-turn closure, where Figure 3 shows different parts of the quarter-turn closure itself, while Figure 4 shows those same parts in addition to the workpieces that connect together. Different components that can be seen in the closure 100 are a handle (which may or may not be ergonomic) 102 - in this embodiment, this handle also includes an inclined plane on which the rolling element moves -, a positioning element 104 for the rolling element 106, the rolling element 106 itself, a disc spring 108, and a positioning element 110, further disc springs 112, 114, and a non-rotationally symmetric component 116. Workpieces 200 and 210 can also be seen in Figure 4. Further elements or additional positioning elements for mounting the components of the closure together may also be present.

[0051] In some embodiments, the closure may be a closure according to the first part of the claim, having optional features provided in any one of the other embodiments described herein, wherein the closure is manufactured, for the most part, i.e., at least 50%, for example at least 75%, or for example at least 90%, from a material lighter than steel, such as aluminum, titanium, ABS, glass fiber reinforced plastic, acetal, nylon, or plastic. The advantage of some embodiments is that they result in a lightweight yet fully functional quarter-turn closure, which can offer advantages in a variety of applications, such as in the transportation sector.

[0052] In some embodiments, some or all components of the closure may be formed from stainless steel materials such as stainless steel, stainless steel 316, polypropylene, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polycarbonate, polyethylene, or polysulfone.

[0053] In some embodiments, some or all components of the closure may be formed from a special material that can withstand high temperatures, such as Inconel or Monel.

[0054] In some embodiments, some or all components of the closure may be formed from easily treatable materials such as cast zinc or chrome-plated brass.

[0055] In some embodiments, the closure may be the closure described in the first claim and have optional features provided in any one of the other embodiments described herein, but the closure may further be provided with an ergonomic handle. Figures 3 and 4 provide an example of such an ergonomic handle. Such an ergonomic handle may provide the user with better usability. The handle may be shaped so that the user can grip the handle well and therefore turn the handle easily. In some embodiments, the handle may also be provided as a protrusion and may be a simple rotary knob, in which case no further ergonomic features are provided on the protrusion. In yet another embodiment, the closure may also be provided without a specific rotary knob, in which case only a locking plate or another locking structure element, for example an element that can be operated with a specific tool, is provided on its side the closure so that the first and second parts rotate relative to each other and therefore the closure can be switched between an open and a closed state. This has the advantage that not just anyone can easily open or close the closure.

[0056] In a second aspect, the present invention also relates to a structure comprising a closure according to the first aspect and two workpieces attached together by the closure. In this case, the two workpieces are provided with openings, and in one of the workpieces, the opening has a shape that is not rotationally symmetric and through which at least a portion of the closure fits. In this way, the closure can be fitted from one side of the structure. After rotation, this portion of the closure may then be clamped to the workpiece.

[0057] In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to the use of a closure according to any one of the prior claims for connecting two or more workpieces.

Claims

1. A closure for connecting at least two workpieces that are mounted together, The closure is designed to attach the workpiece together by operating the closure from one side of the workpiece, while the use of the closure in the workpiece only requires that one or more openings be provided, and The closure is characterized in that, when the closure is fixed to the workpiece, it induces a force perpendicular to the workpiece by rotation, so as to hold the workpiece together. The closure comprises a first component, a second component, and a rolling element, wherein the first component, the second component, and the rolling element are designed and positioned such that the rolling element moves around an inclined plane by rotating the first component and the second component relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane.

2. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the rolling element falls into a notch on the inclined plane during the relative rotation of the first and second parts toward the closed position, and when the closure reaches its closed position, a clicking sound is generated within the closure.

3. The closure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the closure includes a spring load element between the first and second parts of the closure in order to induce a clamping force on the workpiece.

4. The closure according to claim 3, wherein the spring load element is a disc spring.

5. The closure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rolling element is a ball.

6. The closure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein 50%, for example, 75% of the closure is made of plastic.

7. The closure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the closure is provided with an ergonomic knob for inducing rotation of the closure so that the closure can be alternately switched between an open state and a closed state.

8. The closure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a closing element is provided on one side, thereby allowing the first and second parts to be rotated relative to each other by manipulating the closing element with a specific tool.

9. The closure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the closure is designed to attach together workpieces having a total thickness of 1 mm to 300 mm.

10. The closure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the closure is provided with one or more sealing means.

11. A structure comprising a closure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and two workpieces attached together by the closure.

12. The structure according to claim 11, wherein the two workpieces are provided with openings, and in one of the workpieces the opening is shaped such that it is not rotationally symmetric and through which at least a portion of the closure fits.

13. Use of the closure according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for connecting two or more workpieces.

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