Rapid Installation Screw With Expanding Threads for Fast Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing screws require excessive time to be fully inserted and securely fastened, especially when multiple screws are needed to assemble components, which is problematic in applications like solid-state drives where quick disassembly is necessary for modifications and testing.
Innovation Solution
A rapid installation screw with radially expanding threads, featuring an internal shaft and discrete thread segments that can be easily inserted axially and then forced radially outward to engage with the screw hole, allowing for secure fastening without rotation, and can be easily removed by rotating the screw head to unscrew the thread segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional screws are used for fastening components, then secure fastening is achieved, but installation time becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The screw is divided into separate components: a shaft, a head, and discrete thread segments. The thread segments can be inserted independently through the screw hole before the shaft is inserted, allowing parallel insertion operations that significantly reduce installation time while maintaining secure fastening when all components are assembled together.
Solution Approach 2:
The thread segments are inserted through the screw hole in a direction perpendicular to the traditional screw insertion direction. This dimensional change allows the threads to be positioned in the hole without requiring rotational insertion, and the shaft is then inserted axially to engage the pre-positioned thread segments, achieving secure fastening with reduced installation time.
2Reliability
If multiple screws are used to fasten components, then secure fastening is achieved, but total installation time increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
Each screw is segmented into independent components that can be prepared and inserted separately. This allows multiple screw components to be staged and inserted in parallel or sequence without the time-consuming rotational tightening required for traditional screws, significantly improving assembly throughput when multiple fasteners are needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The thread segments can be inserted into the screw holes in advance before the shafts are inserted. This preliminary positioning of the threading components allows the actual fastening operation to be completed quickly by simply inserting the shafts, thereby increasing overall assembly productivity for multi-screw applications.
3Reliability
If screws require rotational insertion to engage threads, then secure fastening is achieved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the thread engagement function into discrete thread segments that can be inserted independently, the complex rotational engagement process is replaced with simpler linear insertion operations. The thread segments are positioned in the hole first, then the shaft is inserted to engage them, eliminating the need for rotational manipulation and simplifying the installation process while maintaining secure fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion operation is changed from rotational (around the screw axis) to linear (through the screw hole). This dimensional change simplifies the installation operation to a straightforward push-through motion for both the thread segments and shaft, making the process easier to perform while still achieving secure thread engagement through the axial insertion of the shaft into the pre-positioned thread segments.
Data Source
AI summary
A rapid installation screw includes radially expanding threads. The screw may include a number of discrete thread segments removably affixed to a distal end of an internal shaft. Initially, the thread segments may together have an outer diameter that allows them to slide into a screw hole without engaging threads of the screw hole. Thereafter, a further downward force on the screw will disconnect the thread segments from the internal shaft so that the internal shaft can move axially down between the thread segments. The diameter of the internal shaft forces the thread segments radially outward into engagement with the threads of the screw hole. The internal shaft further includes ribs radially oriented around the internal shaft to fit in between the thread segments. Rotation of the screw head and internal shaft will exert torque on the thread segments, causing them to rotate as well, thus allowing the thread segments to unscrew from the threaded hole.