Friction-Welded Connection Element With Axial Chip Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connecting elements for fiber-reinforced plastics face contamination issues during friction welding due to chips produced during the penetration process, which can negatively affect the connection quality.
Innovation Solution
The connecting element features a shank with cutting structures and a region of reduced cross-sectional area between them, allowing chips to be removed axially, and a fastening element with a storage area to prevent chip contamination during friction welding, ensuring a clean and strong bond.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a hollow-cylindrical shank with cup point is used to penetrate fiber-reinforced plastics, then material can be accommodated within the hollow-cylindrical part, but chips produced during penetration contaminate the friction weld point on the second plate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful chips from the welding area by providing a dedicated chip storage area on the fastening element. The chip storage area is positioned to receive chips during the penetration process and hold them away from the friction weld point, preventing contamination while maintaining the hollow-cylindrical shank's material accommodation capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening element acts as an intermediary between the penetrating connecting element and the second plate. It provides a chip storage area that mediates the interaction by capturing chips before they can contaminate the weld interface, enabling both material accommodation and clean welding
2Productivity
If cutting structures are placed on the end face of the shank, then cutting efficiency is improved, but chips are produced that can contaminate the friction weld point
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of chip production into a beneficial outcome by designing the fastening element with a chip storage area that actively manages chips. The cutting structures continue to produce chips efficiently, but the chips are now directed into the storage area where they serve as evidence of effective cutting while preventing weld contamination
3Ease of operation
If the shank has a reduced cross-section region between cutting structures, then chip removal is improved, but the connecting surface area for friction welding is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves the area conflict by moving the chip storage function to a different dimension - the chip storage area is positioned radially outward from the main shank body on the fastening element. This allows the shank to maintain its full cross-sectional area for welding while providing a separate location for chip accumulation
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
This design effectively removes chips during the connection process, preventing contamination and ensuring a high-quality, strong friction-welded connection with minimal damage to the fiber structure, even with small cutting diameters.
Implementation Method 1
the connecting element enters into a friction-welded connection with a second plate in order to fix a first plate between the head of the connecting element and the second plate
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The invention relates to a connection element (10, 40, 60, 88) for an interlocking connection to at least one component, wherein the at least one component is held between the connection element (10, 40, 60, 88) and a securing element (30, 50, 70, 90, 102), and the connection element (10, 40, 60, 88) and the securing element (30, 50, 90, 102) enter into a friction welded connection, having a head (12, 42, 86) with a drive and a shaft (14, 44, 62), wherein the shaft (14, 44, 62) has at least two cutting structures (18) on its front side, wherein the cutting structures (18) have cutting edges (46) situated in a cutting plane, wherein the cutting plane borders the shaft (14, 44, 62), wherein the cutting structures (18) are also spaced apart in the circumferential direction and define a cutting diameter. The invention is characterized in that the shaft (14, 44, 62) also has a cross-section, which has a reduced extension between the cutting structures (18) relative to the cutting diameter, wherein the area of the reduced extension extends in the axial direction at least with the length of the cutting diameter from the cutting structures (18) in the direction of the head (12, 42, 86).