Conical Ring Collar Screw Nut Blank for Locking Thread Formation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing lock nuts from screw nut blanks are complex and costly, and the connection between components in multi-part lock nuts creates weak points, while one-piece lock nuts face issues with imprecise surfaces and reduced locking effectiveness due to recesses and depressions in the collar.

Innovation Solution

A screw nut blank with a conical cross-section ring collar that maintains a constant thickness ratio between 0.45 and 0.75, allowing for radial compression-free forming into a shaped collar with flat surfaces, ensuring a strong locking effect and optimal spring properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the thickness of the ring collar is reduced to facilitate transformation into the forming collar, then the deformation process can be carried out without excessive stresses, but the formed collar may not have sufficient axial width to allow for the formation of a sufficiently long locking thread

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeformation process feasibilityVSAvoidaxial width of formed collar
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The ring collar is designed with a conical cross-section profile, featuring a curved or tapered thickness distribution rather than a uniform straight profile. This conical geometry allows the collar to deform axially into a formed collar with sufficient axial width at the inner end face, while maintaining manageable stress levels during the forming process. The gradual thickness variation distributes deformation stresses more evenly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of manufacture

If the ring collar has a constant thickness to simplify manufacturing, then the forming process is easier, but the formed collar develops recesses on outer and/or inner surfaces that are detrimental to the locking effect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvering collar manufacturingVSAvoidlocking effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of constant thickness, the ring collar employs a conical cross-section with varying thickness. This curved profile enables the material to flow uniformly during axial deformation, producing a formed collar with a flat, recess-free inner end face surface. The conical geometry prevents material gathering or void formation that would create detrimental recesses, thereby ensuring optimal locking effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

Enables precise formation of a wide inner end face without radial upsetting, facilitating easy locking thread creation and enhancing the locking nut's stability and clamping action.

Implementation Method 1

the ring collar (2) is axially deformable into a shaped collar (8)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

the offset of the threads, combined with the axially resilient or elastically deformable properties of the collar, creates a spring or clamping effect on the screw

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4337401B1Screw-nut blank for producing a securing nut
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 SF HANDELS & BESITZ GMBH
  • EP4337401B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~2b

AI summary

The invention relates to a screw-nut blank for producing a securing nut and also to a securing nut (20), wherein the securing nut (20) has a shaped collar (8), which is formed on an end surface (3) of the screw nut, in one piece with the nut body (1), and has an inner end surface (11) which runs concentrically in relation to an internally threaded bore (9) of the nut body (1), is spaced apart in the axial direction (A) from the internally threaded bore (9) and has a securing internal thread (22), which is offset in relation to an internal thread (23) of the internally threaded bore (9), wherein the screw-nut blank (10) has an axially running annular collar (2), which is used to form the shaped collar (8) by a forming process, and wherein the annular collar (2) has a contour which remains constant in the circumferential direction and, in the axial direction (A), has a cross-sectional shape which increases as the distance from the end surface (3) increases, in particular a conical cross-sectional shape, wherein the ratio of a thickness (S1) of the annular collar (2) in the transition portion (6) with respect to the end surface (3) to a thickness (S2) of the annular collar (2) at a free end (7), which is used to form the inner end surface (11), is between 0.45 and 0.75, preferably between 0.5 and 0.7.