Positive Locking Fastener With Angular Cap Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical fastening systems with positive locking mechanisms face issues such as excessive or insufficient tightening, leading to potential deformations and uncontrolled loosening due to vibrations, and require complex adjustments or deformation of components, limiting their usability and durability.
Innovation Solution
A positive locking device comprising a first cap with centering and immobilizing means for a screw and a second cap with a blocking and locking portion for a nut, allowing for angular adjustments to ensure secure engagement and rotation, using a pin to secure the caps together, enabling flexible installation and minimizing loosening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If adjustment of nut tightening is performed to align profiles, then coupling member placement is enabled, but excessive or insufficient tightening occurs risking deformations or uncontrolled loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The first cap includes centering and immobilizing means that automatically align with the screw, and the second cap includes a blocking portion that self-aligns with the nut's tightening portion. This self-aligning mechanism eliminates the need for manual adjustment operations, preventing excessive or insufficient tightening while enabling proper coupling member placement.
2Reliability
If angular clearances are minimized to limit loosening, then loosening is reduced, but the number of engagement positions is reduced requiring cap removal and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device incorporates angular clearance between the second cap's blocking portion and the nut's tightening portion, allowing relative rotational movement. This dynamic design provides multiple engagement positions (at least two) while maintaining effective loosening limitation, eliminating the need for cap removal and deformation operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If the fastener is designed for limited reuse (2-3 times), then assembly simplicity is maintained, but durability is reduced due to cap damage from hub breaker
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device is designed to be reusable multiple times without damage. The caps and pin can be removed, recovered, and reinstalled without plastic deformation or structural damage, unlike prior art that required hub breaker damage for disassembly. This extends the fastener lifespan while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a positive locking fastener comprising: a screw (1) having a cavity (110) at a threaded portion (11); a nut (2) having a tightening portion (21); a first cap (3); a second cap (4); and a pin (5). The first cap is suitable for being inserted into the cavity of the threaded portion. The second cap has a locking portion (402) intended to engage with the first cap and a blocking portion (401) intended to engage with a tightening portion (21) of the nut. The locking portion of said second cap comprises openings (4020) suitable for allowing the pin to be inserted through said openings in order to hold the first cap and the second cap together. The invention also relates to a method for implementing the fastener according to the invention.