RFID Fastener with Grounding Pin for Load Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring the tightness of fasteners, such as bolts, are time-consuming, prone to errors, and not suitable for remote or automated monitoring, especially in applications like roller coasters and moving vehicles, where manual inspection is difficult and expensive automated systems are not widely adopted.
Innovation Solution
The use of RFID-tagged fasteners with a grounding pin that changes position based on the applied tensile load, allowing for remote wireless monitoring by disrupting the RFID signal when the load is below a minimum threshold, enabling the identification of loose fasteners without visual inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual inspection methods are used to check fastener tightness, then inspection can be performed with simple equipment, but the inspection process is time-consuming and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection methods with an automated electronic sensing system. Strain gauges are attached to the fastener body to detect tensile load changes, and this data is transmitted wirelessly to a monitoring system, eliminating the need for manual visual inspection and significantly reducing inspection time.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener performs self-monitoring of its own tensile load through integrated strain gauges. The sensing system automatically detects changes in fastener condition and transmits this information without requiring external manual intervention, enabling the fastener to service its own monitoring function.
2Productivity
If automated torque monitoring systems with strain gauges are used, then monitoring efficiency is improved, but the system becomes expensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is designed to be universally applicable to various fastener types and configurations. The strain gauge system can monitor multiple fasteners simultaneously, and the wireless transmission capability allows the same system architecture to serve different applications, reducing overall system complexity through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential monitoring function from complex automated systems. By using simple strain gauges attached to the fastener body with wireless transmission, the system eliminates unnecessary complexity while maintaining monitoring efficiency, focusing only on detecting tensile load changes.
3Speed
If automated monitoring systems are implemented, then inspection speed is improved, but power must be provided at or near the fastener which is not suitable for moving vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces power-intensive active sensing systems with a passive or low-power wireless transmission system. The strain gauges can operate with minimal power, and data is transmitted wirelessly when the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly, eliminating the need for continuous power supply at the fastener location.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system operates periodically rather than continuously. Fasteners are monitored at key moments such as when the vehicle is stationary or during scheduled maintenance stops, reducing power requirements while maintaining effective monitoring capability for moving vehicles.
4Ease of manufacture
If visual inspection methods are used, then no additional equipment is needed, but inspection is prone to error and difficult to perform properly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes visual inspection with electronic strain measurement. Strain gauges provide objective, quantifiable data about fastener tensile load, eliminating the subjectivity and error-prone nature of visual inspection while maintaining ease of implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system provides immediate feedback on fastener condition through wireless transmission of strain gauge data. This real-time or near-real-time feedback allows for prompt identification of loosening fasteners, significantly improving inspection reliability compared to delayed visual detection.
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 efficient and accurate remote monitoring of fastener tightness, reducing the need for manual inspection and improving safety by quickly identifying loose fasteners in complex assemblies.
Implementation Method 1
a grounding pin spaced apart from the RFID tag such that the grounding pin disrupts a signal from the RFID tag when the fastener is loose
Implementation Method 2
the body of the bolt or other fastener element becomes deformed or longer due to applied tensile forces
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener or other structural component for wireless sensing of applied tensile load. The fastener includes an elongate body with a bore that extends within the body. A grounding pin is positioned within the bore and attached to the body within the bore. The fastener includes a wireless transponder, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder or tag, that is mounted on a head provided at the end of the body and exposed to the bore, such as by positioning the RFID tag in a recessed surface of the head or extending the bore through the head. The transponder generates a response signal with a unique identifier in response to a radio frequency signal from a transmitter. The grounding pin contacts and grounds the transponder to block transmittal of the response signal when a tensile load applied to the fastener is less than a minimum tensile load value.