Multi-Part Cement-In Retainer for Air-Pocket-Free Insert Bonding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for fastening threaded inserts into lightweight panels, such as honeycomb or foam materials, face challenges including insufficient adhesive wetting, air pockets, and limited connection flexibility due to precise diameter requirements and inadequate adhesive distribution.

Innovation Solution

A multi-part socket-like adhesive holder with a hollow cylindrical design, featuring a circumferential fastening collar and axial division, allowing for the insertion of a functional insert before gluing, which provides a resilient and adaptable connection by ensuring all surfaces are wetted with adhesive and accommodating tolerance variations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a threaded insert is glued into a lightweight panel using the displacement principle, then the threaded insert can be secured in the blind hole, but not all surfaces are wetted by adhesive and the appearance is impaired

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening reliabilityVSAvoidadhesive application quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an adhesive holder as an intermediary component between the blind hole and the threaded insert. This holder has a recess that receives the threaded insert and allows adhesive to be applied to the holder's outer surface before insertion. The adhesive then flows into the gap between the holder and the blind hole wall, ensuring complete wetting of all surfaces without displacing adhesive outward, thus maintaining both fastening reliability and manufacturing quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The fastening system is segmented into three distinct components: the blind hole in the lightweight panel, the adhesive holder (which can be made of plastic or metal), and the threaded insert. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the holder protects the adhesive application process and ensures proper adhesive distribution, while the threaded insert provides the fastening function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If a fitting component is inserted and rotated at high speed to activate adhesive through friction, then adhesive activation is achieved, but precise diameter matching is required and adhesive amount is insufficient for large gaps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesive activationVSAvoiddiameter matching precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the high-speed rotation mechanical activation method with a simpler adhesive application process. Adhesive is applied directly to the outer surface of the adhesive holder in a controlled manner before insertion, eliminating the need for precise diameter matching and high-speed rotation while ensuring reliable adhesive activation and sufficient adhesive amount to fill gaps of any size

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive is applied to the adhesive holder before the holder is inserted into the blind hole. This preliminary action ensures that the adhesive is already in position and properly distributed on the holder's outer surface, eliminating the need for subsequent activation through friction and ensuring sufficient adhesive is available to fill the gap between the holder and the blind hole wall

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If adhesive is injected into the gap between threaded insert and inner wall, then reliable fastening is achieved, but air pockets may remain and surface wetting is difficult to ensure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening reliabilityVSAvoidadhesive distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive holder serves as a mediator that controls adhesive flow. Adhesive is applied to the holder's outer surface, and as the holder is inserted into the blind hole, the adhesive automatically flows into the gap between the holder and the blind hole wall in a controlled manner, ensuring complete and uniform wetting of all surfaces without trapping air pockets, which would be difficult to detect

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4179218B1Multi-part socket-like cement-in retainer
Publication Date: 2024.08.07 BOLLHOFF VERBINDUNGSTECHNIK GMBH
  • EP4179218B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4179218B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4179218B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a multi-part socket-like cement-in retainer (1) which can be fastened by cementing in a component opening (3) and is formed in at least two parts on account of an axial division and thus opens in the radial direction, so that a functional insert (40) can be arranged in the cement-in retainer (1) only once the cement-in retainer (1) has been cemented into component opening (3) and the functional insert (40) is held inseparably in the cement-in retainer (1) after the cement-in retainer (1) has been cemented into the component opening (3).