Dual-End Fastening Bolt for Limited-Access Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners, such as bolts and nuts, are cumbersome and risky to use in environments with limited access, especially during maintenance or repair, and additional components like tracks or stud plates increase weight and cost.
Innovation Solution
A dual-end fastening bolt with a head and a tail, featuring tool engagement capabilities at both ends, allowing secure fastening and unfastening without damaging the threaded portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a two-sided fastening approach with nuts is used to secure components, then the fastening strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to limited access during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional fastening approach by making the bolt itself capable of being fastened and unfastened from either end, rather than requiring a nut on one side. The dual-end bolt features tool engagement features at both the head and tail ends, allowing it to be manipulated from either direction, thus resolving the access limitation problem while maintaining fastening strength.
2Reliability
If additional components like tracks or stud plates are used to secure passenger seats, then the fastening reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the bolt, track, and stud plate into a single dual-end fastening bolt component. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate tracks or stud plates, reducing device complexity while maintaining fastening reliability through the bolt's dual-end capability and tool engagement features.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-end fastening bolt serves multiple functions: it acts as both the fastening element and the structural connection element that would traditionally require separate tracks or stud plates. The bolt can be inserted and secured from either end, providing universal applicability in various installation scenarios without requiring additional specialized components.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional bolts are used in environments with limited access, then the manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the ease of operation deteriorates during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by designing the bolt to be manipulated from either end, with tool engagement features at both the head and tail. This allows maintenance personnel to access and service the fastener from the most convenient side, dramatically improving ease of operation during maintenance while the bolt itself remains a simple, manufacturable component.
Data Source
AI summary
A dual-end fastening bolt is provided. In one embodiment, the dual-end fastening bolt comprises a head at a first end of the dual-end fastening bolt, a tail at a second end of the dual-end fastening bolt opposite the head, a shank extending from the head to the tail and comprising a threaded portion, wherein the tail comprises a tool feature engageable with a tool to rotate the dual-end fastening bolt or to prevent the dual-end fastening bolt from rotation.