Barrel Nut Retainer With Spring Clip for Fastener Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Barrel nuts in aerospace applications are difficult to align with fasteners due to unrestricted rotation and translation when not attached, leading to time-consuming assembly processes and risks of misalignment and loss.
Innovation Solution
A barrel nut retainer that securely fits within a component's bore, providing an interference fit with the barrel nut, a head portion for alignment, and a spring clip mechanism for easy installation and retention, allowing pre-installation of barrel nuts in components before assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If barrel nuts are installed freely in bores without retainers, then installation is simple and quick, but alignment with fasteners becomes difficult and time-consuming due to unrestricted rotation and translation
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is pre-installed in the bore with the barrel nut secured in a predetermined aligned position before the fastener is inserted. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for time-consuming alignment operations during final assembly, as the barrel nut is already oriented correctly to receive the fastener.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer acts as an intermediary device between the bore and the barrel nut. It provides a mounting structure that holds the barrel nut in the correct position and orientation within the bore, mediating the connection between the stationary bore and the movable barrel nut to ensure proper alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If barrel nuts are restricted from rotating and translating, then alignment with fasteners is improved, but the barrel nut cannot be easily installed or removed
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer employs a spring clip mechanism that is flexible during installation but provides rigid constraint during operation. The spring clip can be compressed to allow the retainer to be inserted into the bore with the barrel nut, then springs back to secure the barrel nut in place, providing dynamic adaptability that facilitates both installation and secure retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer is designed as a separate component from both the bore and the barrel nut. This segmentation allows the retainer to be independently manufactured and installed, providing the alignment function without requiring modification of the barrel nut or the bore, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving precision alignment.
3Reliability
If retainers are used to secure barrel nuts, then alignment and retention are improved, but the number of parts and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides alignment features to ensure proper orientation of the barrel nut, retention features (spring clip) to secure the barrel nut in place, and installation features that allow easy mounting. This merging of functions reduces the need for multiple separate components while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer is designed as a universal component that can be applied to various bore and barrel nut configurations. The standardized retainer design provides alignment, retention, and installation capabilities across different applications, reducing overall system complexity by using a common solution rather than custom-designed components for each specific case.
4Productivity
If barrel nuts are pre-installed in components, then final assembly time is reduced, but the risk of foreign object ingress into the bore increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrel nut and retainer are pre-assembled as a unit before insertion into the bore. This preliminary assembly allows the barrel nut to be positioned and secured in the correct orientation in advance, enabling faster final assembly while the retainer simultaneously provides protection against foreign object ingress during the pre-installation and final assembly 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
This solution simplifies the assembly process by ensuring barrel nuts are pre-installed in the correct position, reducing assembly time, preventing foreign object ingress, and minimizing the risk of barrel nut loss, while allowing the use of off-the-shelf barrel nuts without modifying existing designs.
Implementation Method 1
the aperture has dimensions configured to form an interference fit with the barrel nut
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A barrel nut retainer for retaining a barrel nut in a bore of a component, the retainer comprising: a body adapted to fit within a bore and extending between a first end and a second end, and wherein the body has an aperture between the first end and second end configured to receive a barrel nut, and a head portion at the first end of the body, the head portion adapted to sit over an open end of the bore.