Blind Fastener with Segmented Sleeve and Rotational Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blind fasteners expose sharp edges during installation, posing safety risks and requiring preassembly and specialized tools, which complicates installation and increases the risk of dropped components and tools in hazardous environments.
Innovation Solution
A blind fastener device with a sleeve, expander, and nut that expands and locks by relative rotation, eliminating the need for preassembly and specialized tools, and features a multi-section sleeve with a retainer to ensure secure engagement and protection of wires and cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If blind fasteners use expanding sleeves during installation, then fastening capability is achieved, but sharp edges are exposed creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is divided into separate components: an expander that remains inside the hollow structure and a sleeve that is installed externally. The sleeve is segmented into multiple sections that can be independently positioned and secured, eliminating the need for the sleeve to expand and bend during installation, thereby preventing sharp edge exposure while maintaining fastening capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The expander is nested within the hollow structure while the sleeve is positioned externally, with the sleeve sections containing the expander in its retracted state. This nesting arrangement allows the sleeve to protect the expander and prevents the sleeve from being exposed to sharp edges during installation, as the sleeve sections are designed to enclose the expander components.
2Manufacturing precision
If blind fasteners require preassembly and specialized tools, then fastening precision is improved, but installation complexity and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The expander is designed to be self-actuating through a simple rotational motion that transforms it from a compact storage state to an expanded fastening state. The sleeve sections automatically position themselves around the expander during rotation, eliminating the need for preassembly and specialized tools. The system performs its own installation function through the rotational actuation mechanism, reducing installation complexity while maintaining fastening precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The expander transitions from a static compact state to a dynamic expanded state through rotational actuation. The sleeve sections are designed to dynamically adjust their positions during the rotation process, moving from a retracted configuration to an expanded fastening configuration. This dynamic transformation simplifies installation by eliminating preassembly requirements while ensuring precise fastening through controlled expansion.
3Adaptability or versatility
If technicians work at heights with multiple tools, then fastening function is achieved, but risk of dropped components and tools increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expander and sleeve are merged into a single integrated fastening system where the sleeve sections contain the expander components. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate tools and preassembly steps, reducing the number of items a technician must carry and manage at height. The integrated design maintains full fastening functionality while improving safety reliability by minimizing dropped components and tools.
4Strength
If sleeve expands and bends during installation, then fastening is achieved, but wire and cable protection is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve is segmented into multiple sections that can be independently positioned around the hollow structure. These sections are designed to maintain a smooth outer surface without sharp edges, protecting wires and cables from damage. The segmentation allows the fastening function to be achieved through the expander's expansion rather than sleeve deformation, eliminating the harmful effect of sharp edges while preserving wire and cable protection.
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 solution simplifies installation, enhances safety by preventing sharp edge exposure, and reduces the risk of dropped components, while ensuring secure fastening and protection of wires and cables.
Implementation Method 1
drawing a portion of the expansion section of the expander into a structural region located on the sleeve and expanding at least a portion of the sleeve's structural region
Implementation Method 2
drawing a portion of the locking section past the sleeve's distal end toward the sleeve's proximal end and deforming at least a portion of the sleeve's distal end to a locked state
Data Source
AI summary
A blind fastener device for fastening at least two workpieces, including a sleeve, an expander having a tensioning section, a locking section, and an expansion section, and a nut. A portion of the expander passes through the sleeve to cooperate with the nut so that relative rotation of the expander and nut draws the expander's distal end toward the sleeve's proximal end thereby drawing a portion of the expansion section of the expander into a structural region located on the sleeve and expanding at least a portion of the sleeve's structural region, and drawing a portion of the locking section past the sleeve's distal end toward the sleeve's proximal end and deforming at least a portion of the sleeve's distal end to a locked state.