Low-Profile Cam Locking Fastener Anti-Back-Out Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cam locking fasteners have a high profile due to thin wall construction, limiting their use in applications with small clearance dimensions, and screws in vibrating environments tend to back out due to lack of adequate locking mechanisms, leading to potential malfunctions and increased maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
A low-profile cam locking fastener with a tubular skirt and lock washer featuring wedge locking action, where the washer and nut have mating wedge locking features with a greater inclination than the fastener's pitch angle, preventing back-out and ensuring secure engagement in high vibration applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If thin wall construction is used to facilitate swaging operation, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases and anti-back-out capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wall thickness parameter from thin to thick construction, enabling the skirt to adequately contain and support the lock washer while providing sufficient material for threading operations. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by prioritizing reliability and manufacturability over ease of swaging operation.
2Strength
If increased number of threads is provided within the fastener, then strength is improved, but length of moving object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wall thickness parameter to enable adequate thread engagement within a compact height. By increasing the skirt wall thickness, the fastener can accommodate more threads within the same axial space, thereby improving strength without proportionally increasing overall length.
3Adaptability or versatility
If low profile construction is used, then adaptability to small clearance dimensions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the tubular skirt structure: it serves as the mounting surface for the lock washer, provides structural support, enables threading operations, and defines the overall fastener height. This consolidation achieves low profile construction without excessive complexity by combining rather than separating functions.
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 provides a low-profile fastener with enhanced anti-back-out features, effectively preventing loosening in vibrating environments and reducing maintenance needs by ensuring secure fastening without increasing the fastener's height, thus addressing the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
The wedge locking action fastening features include a greater inclination than a pitch angle of the fastener such that the fastener is prevented from backing out
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener is disclosed for use in a high vibration application wherein the fastener is engaged to a blind hole. The fastener includes a lock washer including wedge locking action fastening features and a head of the fastener including mating wedge locking action fastening features. The wedge locking action fastening features include a greater inclination than a pitch angle of the fastener such that the fastener is prevented from backing out.