Segmented Nut Fastening for Reliable Sanitary Thread Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening devices for heavy ceramic parts, such as toilet bowls, rely on unreliable spring mechanisms for thread engagement control, leading to inconsistent assembly and installation challenges.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device featuring a rotatably and slidably mounted nut with pivotable segments that can be independently moved between engagement and release positions using an angular gear actuating element, allowing for precise thread engagement and disengagement without requiring the threaded rod to be inserted, enabling easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a spring mechanism is used to control thread engagement, then the fastening device can be pushed over long distances of the receiving thread positions, but the control over thread engagement becomes unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The nut is divided into two or more segments that can pivot relative to one another, allowing the nut to expand and contract. This segmentation enables reliable control of thread engagement through positive mechanical connection between the segments and the actuating device, eliminating the unreliability of spring mechanisms while maintaining ease of positioning over long distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The nut transitions between dynamic states (expanded and contracted) through pivoting segments. This dynamic mechanism allows the nut to be pushed over long distances in the expanded state for easy positioning, then reliably engage threads when contracted, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Reliability
If the nut is in threaded engagement, then secure fastening is achieved, but the assembly process becomes slow due to final tightening requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented nut design allows the fastening device to be pushed over long distances without thread engagement, then quickly engaged in one motion. This eliminates the slow final tightening process while maintaining secure fastening, as the segmented structure provides positive mechanical connection for reliable thread engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The nut is preliminarily positioned in the expanded state without thread engagement, allowing quick movement to the correct position. The thread engagement is then established in one final action, combining the benefits of long-distance positioning with rapid final engagement, improving assembly speed while ensuring secure fastening.
3Ease of manufacture
If the nut is designed as a single piece, then manufacturing is simpler, but the ability to pivot and engage threads independently is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The nut is segmented into two or more pivotable sections that can move relative to each other. This segmentation provides the necessary adaptability for independent pivoting and thread engagement while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized segment designs that can be produced using conventional machining processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The segments are designed to nest within each other when contracted, creating a compact structure that engages threads efficiently. This nested configuration maintains manufacturing simplicity while providing the adaptability needed for independent pivoting and reliable thread engagement.
Data Source
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AI summary
Fastening device (1) for a threaded rod (2) of a sanitary fixing, comprising a housing (3) and a nut, which is rotatably arranged in the housing (3) about an output axis (L) of the fastening device (1) and displaceably arranged in the housing (3) between an engagement position and a release position, wherein said nut is formed from two or more segments arranged to be movable relative to each other, and wherein an actuating element (5) is further provided, by means of which the nut (4) is rotatable about the output axis (L). The fastening device (1) is designed such that the nut (4) can be displaced from the release position to the engagement position by actuating the actuating element (5) independently of the threaded rod (2).