Bolted Joint Eccentric Bushing Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bolted joints face challenges in achieving precise alignment and load transfer due to production engineering inaccuracies, leading to bore offset issues, which complicates assembly and affects the joint's load-bearing capacity when simultaneous joint boring is not feasible.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of slotted eccentric bushings, which are adjustable by rotation to align the axes of their inner bores, allowing for the insertion of bolts and securing the sleeves against twisting using an anti-twist protection mechanism, ensuring precise alignment and secure assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If joint boring of structural parts is performed during assembly to achieve precise bore alignment, then manufacturing precision of bore alignment is improved, but productivity and ease of manufacture deteriorate due to increased assembly complexity and time requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-boring the structural parts separately before assembly, and using adjustable bushings to compensate for alignment deviations. This eliminates the need for time-consuming joint boring during assembly, thereby improving productivity while maintaining bore alignment precision through the adjustable bushing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces adjustable bushings as intermediary elements between the pre-bored holes and the bolts. These bushings can be rotated and adjusted to compensate for bore offset, serving as a mediator that enables precise alignment without requiring complex joint boring operations during assembly.
2Productivity
If structural parts are pre-bored separately before assembly to improve productivity, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision of bore alignment deteriorates due to cumulative tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs boring operations separately on structural parts before assembly, which improves productivity. The resulting bore offset is then compensated by the adjustable bushings that can be rotated to align their inner bores, thus maintaining manufacturing precision despite separate pre-boring operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamically adjustable bushings that can be rotated during assembly to compensate for bore misalignment. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to adapt to cumulative tolerances from separate pre-boring operations while maintaining precise final alignment.
3Device complexity
If conventional fixed bushings are used in pre-bored holes, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to bore offset deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces fixed bushings with adjustable bushings that can be rotated to different angular positions. This dynamic capability allows the bushings to adapt to various bore offset conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, thus improving adaptability without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable bushings serve multiple functions: they provide bearing support, compensate for bore offset through rotation, and enable precise alignment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, maintaining device complexity at an acceptable level while significantly improving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A bolted joint for connecting structural parts established by at least two bolt eyes formed in each part. Two conically configured bolts are each surrounded by a slotted sleeve having a conical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface. A thin end of each bolt has a threaded journal and a thick end has a spanner lug. Slotted eccentric bushings are inserted into the bolt eyes, which each receive a slotted sleeve and a bolt. Each threaded journal interacts with a nut so when the nut is tightened, a radial force is exerted by the sleeve upon the bolt eyes. The sleeves each have a rim with two diametrically opposing, mutually parallel flattenings. The sleeves are secured against twisting by an anti-twist protection which is formed of two rings, connected to each other via a web. The rings have bearing edges which interact positively with the flattenings.