Machine Tool Head Fastener Retention Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Machine tool assemblies face challenges with small dynamic fasteners accidentally falling during attachment or detachment of components, leading to difficulties and increased costs in production and assembly, particularly in small machine tools.
Innovation Solution
A machine tool assembly design featuring a fastener with a shank and head, where the head component includes a retention arrangement that prevents unintentional falling by allowing removal only through combined translational and rotational movement, reducing the need for additional retention elements like circlips and simplifying the assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If small dynamic fasteners are used to attach head components to body components, then the assembly can be compact and efficient, but the fasteners can accidentally fall to the ground during attachment or detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary retention arrangement (such as a retention groove or retention protrusion) that acts as a mediator between the fastener and the head component. This intermediary structure prevents the fastener from falling during assembly or detachment operations, solving the reliability issue while maintaining the use of small dynamic fasteners for compact and efficient assembly.
2Reliability
If additional retention elements like circlips are added to prevent fastener falling, then fastener retention is improved, but device complexity and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the retention function directly into the head component structure by integrating a retention arrangement (such as a retention groove or protrusion) into the head component itself. This eliminates the need for separate retention elements like circlips, thereby maintaining fastener retention reliability while reducing device complexity and assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The head component is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the structural interface for attaching the tool head to the machine tool body, and simultaneously incorporates a retention arrangement that prevents fastener falling. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed while maintaining both assembly efficiency and fastener retention.
3Device complexity
If traditional fastening arrangements are used without retention features, then device complexity is minimized, but fasteners and head components can unintentionally fall in non-upright orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by incorporating a retention arrangement only at specific locations where fasteners are inserted into the head component. The retention feature is localized to the fastener insertion holes or specific retention slots, rather than requiring a complex overall structure. This provides targeted prevention of fastener falling while maintaining simplicity in other areas of the fastening arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
A machine tool assembly including a body component, a head component and a fastener. The body and head components respectively include a body hole and a head hole. The fastener is configured to secure the head component to the body component via insertion through the head hole and attachment to the body hole. The head hole includes a head fastener retention arrangement for preventing unintentional ejection of the fastener therefrom.