Injection Bolt Assembly With Venting Disc for Tolerance-Filled Joints

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fastener assembly methods for aircraft components require precise alignment and provisional fixing to achieve mechanical strength, which can be time-consuming and prone to air pockets due to oversize through-holes and limited tolerance ranges.

Innovation Solution

A fastening assembly kit with a bolt featuring longitudinal and transverse injection channels, a disc with venting grooves, and a bolt securing element that allows for the injection of a hardenable filling material to fill tolerance spaces between components, ensuring mechanical strength and preventing air pockets by allowing larger positional tolerances and direct contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If through-holes are dimensionally larger than the bolt to allow for tolerance compensation, then ease of assembly and positional tolerance are improved, but air inclusions occur in the filler material reducing mechanical strength

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidmechanical strength of connection
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a disc with venting grooves as an intermediary component between the bolt and the filler material. The venting grooves provide a controlled pathway for air to escape during filler material injection, preventing air inclusions that would compromise the mechanical strength of the connection while maintaining the oversize through-hole design for ease of assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Strength

If precise alignment of components is required during assembly, then mechanical strength of connection is improved, but assembly time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strength of connectionVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the dimensional parameters of the through-holes, making them deliberately larger than the bolt diameter. This parameter change allows components to be assembled without precise alignment while still achieving strong connections through the filler material that compensates for the intentional dimensional tolerance, thereby reducing assembly time and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If oversize through-holes are used to avoid temporary fixing, then productivity is improved, but air pockets form in the filler material compromising joint reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly speedVSAvoidjoint reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The disc with venting grooves serves as a mediator that enables the use of oversize through-holes for rapid assembly while simultaneously preventing air pocket formation. The venting grooves provide a controlled escape route for air during filler material injection, ensuring complete filling and maintaining joint reliability without sacrificing assembly speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The disc introduces a porous or channelled structure (venting grooves) that allows gas to pass through during the filling process. This porous pathway enables air to escape from the filler material as it is injected, preventing air pocket formation and ensuring complete filling of the oversize through-holes, thereby maintaining joint reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

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 rapid assembly of components with improved mechanical strength and stability by filling tolerance spaces with a hardenable material, reducing the need for precise alignment and post-processing, while preventing air pockets and enhancing the connection's resilience.

Implementation Method 1

an inner venting groove extending along the recess and an outer venting groove extending from a circumferential edge of the disc towards the recess, which opens into the inner venting groove

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVenting groove:

Implementation Method 2

a longitudinal injection channel extending along the longitudinal direction and a transverse injection channel extending between the longitudinal injection channel and an outer circumferential surface of the shaft

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid conduction:

Implementation Method 3

allows a curable filler material in a liquid state to be applied to the opening of the outer circumferential surface of the shaft. In particular, this allows the filler material to be used to compensate for tolerances in the tolerance space between the shaft and the bore lining of a hole in one of the components to be joined

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTolerance compensation:

Data Source

PatentEP3301310B1Mounting kit, component assembly and method for formation of a component assembly
Publication Date: 2021.10.27 AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE GMBH
  • EP3301310B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3301310B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3301310B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention describes a fastening assembly set (1) comprising a bolt (10) with a contact section (11) and a shaft (12) which has a longitudinal injection channel (13) and a transverse injection channel (14) extending between this and an outer circumferential surface (12a) of the shaft (12), a bolt locking element (20) fixable to the shaft (12) and a disc (30) which can be arranged between the bolt locking element (20) and the contact section (11) of the bolt (10) and which has a recess (31) through which the shaft (12) of the bolt (10) can be passed, and an outer venting groove (33) extending from a circumferential edge (32) of the disc (30) in the direction of the recess (31), which opens into an inner venting groove (34) extending along the recess (31). Furthermore, a component arrangement (100) and a method for manufacturing a component arrangement (100) are described.