Nut Holder Fastening Plate Assembly Without Rivet Holes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fastening methods for aircraft nut holders require laborious hole drilling and use of rivets, which are inadequate for thick substrates, necessitating a simpler and more efficient fastening solution.

Innovation Solution

A fastening assembly comprising a fastening plate with spurs and a nut holder with windows, allowing removably secure attachment without rivets, using glue for permanent attachment to the substrate and featuring a neck for alignment and easy assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rivets are used to fasten the nut holder to the substrate, then the nut holder is securely fastened, but additional holes must be made in the plate and substrate which increases labor and tool wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefastening securityVSAvoidinstallation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The fastening system is divided into separate components: a fastening plate with spurs and a nut holder with windows. The spurs pass through the windows to create a mechanical interlock, eliminating the need for additional rivet holes in the substrate while maintaining secure fastening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The spurs are inserted through the windows of the nut holder, creating a nested configuration where the spurs are contained within the window openings. This nesting provides secure fastening without requiring additional holes in the substrate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If rivets are used to fasten the nut holder, then secure attachment is achieved, but the process is laborious in tight spaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment securityVSAvoidinstallation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The spurs are pre-formed on the fastening plate and the windows are pre-formed on the nut holder. During installation, the spurs simply need to be inserted through the windows, which is a much simpler operation than drilling holes and installing rivets, especially in tight spaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If rivets are used for thick substrates (>5 mm), then fastening is possible, but rivets long enough are unavailable requiring intermediate plates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefastening capabilityVSAvoidfastening structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of solving the thickness problem by extending rivet length in one dimension, the invention uses spurs that engage with windows in a different dimensional approach. The spurs provide mechanical interlocking that works regardless of substrate thickness, eliminating the need for intermediate plates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS11542972B2Fastening assembly including a nut holder and a fastening plate fastened to a substrate

Publication Date: 2023.01.03 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)

AI summary

A fastening assembly suitable for being fastened to a substrate with a front face and a first hole. The fastening assembly includes a fastening plate with a second plate with front and rear faces and pierced with a second hole aligned with the first hole. The fastening plate front face is fastened to the substrate rear face. The assembly includes a nut holder with a third plate with front and rear faces and pierced with a third hole aligned with the second hole and a nut fastened to the third plate on the side of the rear face and coaxial with the third hole. The front face of the nut holder is fastened to the rear face of the fastening plate. The fastening plate includes a first fastener that engages with a second fastener of the nut holder to removably fasten the nut holder to the fastening plate.