Self-Attaching Nut With Raised Buttons Prevents Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-attaching nuts face challenges in preventing relative rotation and pull-out from panels, especially under high forces, due to limitations in existing designs and materials used in cold header techniques and secondary press operations.
Innovation Solution
The self-attaching nut features a central pilot portion with a cylindrical outer surface, a flange portion having a V-shaped annular groove and spaced raised buttons that prevent rotation and pull-out by plastically deforming around the nut during installation, ensuring secure attachment to the panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional self-attaching nut designs are used, then the nut can be installed in panels, but the nut is prone to relative rotation and pull-out under high forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating raised buttons at specific locations on the nut surface that concentrate deformation locally. These buttons are strategically positioned to engage with the panel material, creating localized anchoring points that prevent rotation and pull-out while maintaining overall nut functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The nut surface is segmented into multiple raised buttons rather than a continuous deformation zone. This segmentation allows each button to independently engage with the panel material, distributing the anti-rotation and anti-pull-out functions across multiple discrete contact points, thereby enhancing overall reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the nut design is simplified for easy manufacture, then production cost decreases, but the ability to prevent rotation and pull-out is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The nut design employs self-service by utilizing the panel material itself as the deformation medium. During installation, the panel material is cold-formed to create the raised buttons, eliminating the need for separate complex forming operations or additional components. This self-service approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving enhanced mechanical interlocking.
Solution Approach 2:
The pilot portion of the nut performs preliminary action by guiding the deformation process during installation. The cylindrical pilot portion concentrates the forming forces and initiates the creation of raised buttons before the main nut body engages with the panel, ensuring proper button formation without requiring complex tooling or multi-step operations.
3Ease of operation
If existing nut designs are used, then installation is straightforward, but torque twist-out resistance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the physical state of the panel material through cold-forming during installation. The panel material transitions from its original state to a deformed state that creates raised buttons, fundamentally changing the mechanical interlocking parameters and thereby increasing torque twist-out resistance by 50% or more while maintaining straightforward installation procedures.
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
The design significantly enhances torque twist-out resistance by 50% compared to current products, effectively securing the nut to panels of varying thicknesses and materials, ensuring a stable joint without spinning, even under high forces.
Implementation Method 1
The self-attaching nuts are generally installed in a panel using a press to plastically deform a portion of the nut, thereby capturing the panel.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-attaching nut for attachment to a panel includes a central pilot portion having a bore therethrough, and having a substantially cylindrical outer surface. A flange portion surrounds the outer surface of the pilot portion, and the flange portion includes an annular groove surrounding the pilot portion. The annular groove has a substantially V-shaped axial cross section. The self-attaching nut further includes a plurality of spaced raised buttons formed on a surface of the annular groove. The spaced raised buttons are configured to substantially prevent relative rotation between the nut and the panel, and configured to aid in preventing pull-out of the nut from the panel.