Multi-Pawl Bolt Head for One-Sided Shear-Resistant Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fasteners are inconvenient for absorbing shear, tensile, and traction forces, often leading to misalignment due to lateral force components acting on the fastener bolt, especially when accessing from one side.
Innovation Solution
A multi-head bolt with a bolt shaft and multiple pawls arranged in a star-shaped configuration, providing a support surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, which effectively diverts shear and tensile forces by aligning with cut-outs in panels and incorporating anti-twist structures to prevent rotation, ensuring secure connection and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional fastener is used to connect panels from one side, then assembly convenience is improved, but the fastener cannot effectively absorb shear forces and tensile forces, leading to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener head is segmented into multiple pawls (at least three) radially arranged around the bolt shaft. Each pawl can independently engage with corresponding cut-outs in the panel, allowing the fastener to handle multi-directional forces through distributed contact points rather than a single centralized connection point.
Solution Approach 2:
The pawls are positioned asymmetrically at specific radial angles (e.g., 0°, 120°, 240° for three pawls) to optimally counteract shear forces and tensile forces from different directions. This asymmetric radial arrangement ensures that at least two pawls are always effective in resisting lateral forces, preventing misalignment while maintaining one-sided assembly capability.
2Ease of operation
If a hammer-head bolt configuration is used, then one-sided assembly is enabled, but lateral shear forces cause misalignment due to force components acting on the bolt axis
Solution Approach 1:
The force resistance mechanism transitions from a one-dimensional axial bolt connection to a two-dimensional radial pawl-panel interface. The pawls extend radially outward from the bolt shaft and engage with cut-outs in the panel, creating a planar distribution of force contact points that effectively counteract lateral shear forces and prevent misalignment while maintaining one-sided assembly.
3Reliability
If multiple pawls are added to the multi-head, then force distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-pawl structure is integrated as a single monolithic head component formed from the bolt shaft, rather than separate movable parts. The pawls are directly formed as extensions of the bolt shaft in a star-shaped configuration, eliminating the need for complex mechanisms to position or secure the pawls, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining force distribution capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-head bolt having a bolt shaft defining a longitudinal axis of the multi-head bolt and a multi-head disposed at a first end of the bolt shaft, the multi-head having at least three pawls, each pawl having a fixed radial orientation relative to the bolt shaft and having a primary plane being aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bolt shaft and having a support surface.