Flexible Head Fasteners for Brittle Component Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional fasteners often damage brittle components during assembly, such as those found in aircraft manufacturing, due to their rigidity and inability to accommodate varying temperatures without causing breakage.
Innovation Solution
The development of flexible head fasteners with a center head portion and wing portions that flex upon tightening, allowing for a lower torque preload and maintaining compression across a wide temperature range without breaking the component, utilizing a shank with a clip groove to secure a retainer clip against the opposite surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional rigid fasteners are used to fasten brittle components, then the fastening strength is sufficient, but the brittle components may crack or break during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The head of the fastener is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, changing the mechanical parameter of the fastener head from rigid to flexible. This allows the head to deform and accommodate brittle components during tightening, reducing the risk of component damage while maintaining adequate fastening strength
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener head is designed with flexibility to dynamically adapt during the fastening process. The flexible head can deform under tightening forces and then maintain a controlled preload, providing dynamic adaptation to brittle components rather than applying static rigid forces that cause damage
2Reliability
If high torque is applied during fastening to ensure secure attachment, then the fastening reliability improves, but brittle components are more likely to break
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible head design changes the torque-transmission characteristics of the fastener. By allowing the head to flex, the system can achieve reliable fastening at lower torque values, preventing component breakage while maintaining adequate holding strength
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible head acts as a cushioning element that absorbs excess tightening forces before they reach the brittle component. This beforehand cushioning protects the component from breakage while still achieving the necessary fastening reliability
3Ease of operation
If standard fasteners are used, then the assembly process is simple, but the fasteners cannot maintain compression on fragile components across wide temperature ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible head provides dynamic compensation for thermal expansion and contraction of the brittle component. As temperature changes cause the component to expand or contract, the flexible head can deform to maintain consistent compression, ensuring stability across wide temperature ranges while keeping the assembly process simple
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
The flexible head fasteners securely fasten brittle components without damage, enabling reliable assembly and maintaining compression across a wide temperature range, addressing the limitations of traditional fasteners in handling fragile materials.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible head includes a center head portion and a plurality of wing portions coupled to the center head portion... The disclosed fasteners have a non-standard head that flexes as the fastener is tightened
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a fastener includes a flexible head and a shank coupled to the flexible head. The flexible head includes a center head portion and a plurality of wing portions coupled to the center head portion. Each of the plurality of wing portions includes a contact area configured to contact a first surface of a part to be fastened. The shank includes a clip groove configured to hold a retainer clip against a second surface of the part to be fastened. The second first surface of the part to be fastened is opposite the first surface of the part to be fastened.