Air-Assisted Fastener Retention in Limited-Access Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manual installation of fasteners in limited-access areas, such as aircraft fuselage assemblies, is difficult and time-consuming, making automation challenging due to the need for precise placement and friction retention within holes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using an air system to create friction between fasteners and holes by directing air to impinge on the fastener shaft, tilting it toward the hole wall, thereby preventing the fastener from falling out, allowing for automated installation even in confined spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual fastener installation is performed in limited-access areas, then installation can be completed with simple equipment, but installation time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated drilling and fastener installation system. The apparatus uses automated drilling tools and fastener delivery mechanisms to install fasteners without manual hammering or bucking operations, significantly increasing installation speed while reducing the time loss associated with manual procedures in limited-access areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener installation system is designed to be self-contained and self-operating within limited-access areas. The apparatus automatically positions, inserts, and secures fasteners without requiring external manual intervention for each operation, allowing the system to serve itself and maintain high productivity in confined spaces where human access is restricted.
2Productivity
If automation is introduced for fastener installation in limited-access areas, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated installation apparatus is designed as a multi-functional system that combines drilling, fastener insertion, and securing operations in a single device. This universal approach allows one complex apparatus to perform multiple functions that would otherwise require separate tools and operations, justifying the increased device complexity by eliminating the need for multiple separate systems and manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where the fastener installation apparatus is positioned within or integrated with the drilling system. The automated fastener delivery mechanism is nested within the drilling apparatus, allowing compact integration that reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high productivity in limited-access areas.
3Ease of manufacture
If fasteners are installed without friction retention mechanism, then installation process is simpler, but fasteners may fall out during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus creates friction retention between the fastener and hole wall before the fastening operation is complete. This preliminary action of establishing friction contact ensures the fastener remains securely positioned in the hole during subsequent installation steps, preventing premature ejection or misalignment while maintaining a relatively simple installation process.
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
Facilitates easier and faster installation of fasteners by maintaining them in place during the process, enabling partial automation of the installation process in areas with restricted access, such as inside aircraft fuselage assemblies.
Implementation Method 1
creating, by the air, a friction force between the fastener and the hole that prevents the fastener from falling out of the hole
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method and apparatus for installing a fastener is provided. The apparatus comprises a plate system and an air system that is connected to the plate system. The plate system has a plurality of air passages and at least one opening. The air system directs air through the plurality of air passages, out of the opening, and in a selected direction substantially parallel to a surface of a structure into which a fastener is to be installed such that the air impinges on an exposed portion of a shaft of the fastener.