One-Piece Self-Locking Nut With Deformable Lips for Vibration Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional threaded nut fasteners often loosen in high vibration environments due to the need for additional locknuts, which increase installation time, material usage, and can fail over time.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece self-locking nut design featuring a rear nut body with internal threading and crush-locking lips that deform into an internal relief cut when tightened, providing a permanent lock without the need for additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional locknuts are used to prevent loosening, then vibration resistance is improved, but device complexity and quantity of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the nut body and locking features into a single integrated component. The self-locking nut includes an integrally formed nut body with locking lips that are part of the same piece, eliminating the need for separate locknuts or additional locking components. This merging achieves vibration resistance without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-locking nut incorporates automatic locking features that engage without external intervention. The locking lips automatically deform and lock onto the bolt threads when the nut is tightened, providing self-locking functionality that prevents loosening in vibration environments without requiring additional components or complex assembly procedures.
2Reliability
If conventional locknuts are used to prevent loosening, then vibration resistance is improved, but installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The self-locking mechanism automatically engages during the normal tightening process. As the nut is screwed onto the bolt and tightened, the locking lips automatically deform and lock onto the threads, providing vibration resistance without requiring separate locking steps or additional components, thus maintaining fast installation speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking lips are pre-configured in a position that allows them to automatically engage with the bolt threads during the tightening process. This preliminary positioning ensures that the locking action occurs simultaneously with the fastening operation, eliminating the need for separate locking steps and reducing installation time.
3Reliability
If conventional locknuts are used to prevent loosening, then vibration resistance is improved, but material usage and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the locking features directly into the nut body, eliminating the need for separate locknuts or additional locking components. This single-piece construction reduces the total amount of material required while achieving the same vibration resistance as conventional multi-component locking systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the locking functionality from separate components and integrates it directly into the nut body. By taking out the need for additional locknuts and incorporating the locking mechanism within the nut itself, material usage is reduced while maintaining vibration resistance.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional nuts are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but reliability in vibration environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The self-locking features are integrated into the nut body as a single piece, which can be manufactured using conventional forming processes. The locking lips are formed as an integral part of the nut, allowing standard manufacturing methods to produce both the fastening and locking functions in one component, maintaining ease of manufacture while improving vibration resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the nut by adding deformable locking lips that change shape during installation. These lips are designed with specific geometric parameters that allow them to deform and lock onto the threads, providing vibration resistance while being manufacturable using standard processes.
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 one-piece self-locking nut offers faster installation, reduced material usage, increased strength, and enhanced vibration resistance compared to traditional two-piece locking nuts, maintaining a secure hold without relying on thread friction.
Implementation Method 1
the crush-locking lips are forced inwardly and deform on the threaded shaft of the fastener bolt and into the space of the internal relief cut in order to form a permanent lock on the fastener bolt
Data Source
AI summary
A self-locking nut includes a main-nut body and a deformable-nut body. The main-nut body has a recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming x turns of an internal thread therein. The deformable-nut body has an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming y turns of an internal thread therein. The outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between the deformable-nut body and the recess. A ratio of x:y is about 2:1.