Cantilevered Resilient Strut Connector for Compression Load Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting structural members in harsh or remote environments, such as subsea settings, face challenges with human intervention risks and costs, and conventional latching techniques using tension members suffer from instability and high fabrication complexity due to hook features, leading to increased weight and reduced fatigue performance.
Innovation Solution
The use of cantilevered resiliently biased strut members that transfer load via direct axial compression, minimizing buckling and eccentricity, and eliminating the need for hook features, resulting in a compact, lightweight, and high-load-capacity connector with improved fatigue performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If tension members with hook shaped end features are used for connecting structural members, then the connection provides resistance against extraction and further penetration, but the device complexity and fabrication complexity increase due to the hook features, and the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by using compression members instead of tension members. The resilient struts are pre-compressed and transfer load through direct axial compression to the abutment face, eliminating the need for hook-shaped features and reducing fabrication complexity while maintaining load carrying capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hook-shaped end features from the design. By using compression members that transfer load directly through axial compression to an abutment face, the complex hook features are removed entirely, simplifying the device and reducing weight
2Strength
If tension members with hook shaped end features are used for connecting structural members, then the connection provides resistance against extraction and further penetration, but the weight of the connector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by using compression members instead of tension members. The resilient struts are pre-compressed and transfer load through direct axial compression to the abutment face, eliminating the need for hook-shaped features and reducing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hook-shaped end features from the design. By using compression members that transfer load directly through axial compression to an abutment face, the complex hook features are removed entirely, reducing connector weight
3Device complexity
If unrestrained compression members are used, then the design is simpler, but the buckling length increases and the load carrying capacity is dramatically limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses buckling by providing lateral restraint to the resilient struts, preventing them from buckling out of plane (radially or tangentially). This dimensional control allows the compression members to achieve high load carrying capacity while maintaining design simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient struts are pre-compressed and pre-positioned to engage with the abutment face at the desired penetration depth. This preliminary action ensures that the struts are already in a load-bearing configuration, maximizing their effectiveness while maintaining simplicity
4Ease of manufacture
If tension members are used for connector design, then the connection can be made, but the fatigue performance is reduced due to cyclic tensile stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by using compression members instead of tension members. Compression members have superior fatigue performance under cyclic loading conditions, as variations in compressive stresses are considerably less damaging than tensile stresses
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of compression (buckling) into a benefit by using pre-compressed resilient struts with lateral restraint. The resilient nature of the struts allows them to accommodate cyclic loading while maintaining compression, transforming a potential weakness into a fatigue-resistant solution
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 enables a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective connector with enhanced load-carrying capacity and fatigue resistance, reducing the need for human intervention and minimizing risks and costs associated with manual operation in harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
cantilevered initially displaced resiliently biased strut members
Implementation Method 2
load is transferred between the members via direct axial compression in the cantilevered resilient strut
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a joint arrangement for joining first and second longitudinally aligned members, said joint arrangement comprising at least one strut arranged to project from at least one of said first and second longitudinally aligned members, said at least one strut comprising a proximal end attached to the member from which it projects and a remote (distal) end arranged to be displaced away from said member, said distal end arranged to abut a complementary stop in/on the other member when said second member penetrates said first member, wherein said at least one strut is a compression strut which acts to resist withdrawal of the second member via compression in the strut.