Sensorized Fastener Pin Structure for Stable Signal Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensorized fasteners are not capable of dynamically detecting working conditions, are expensive to manufacture, and lack adequate chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics for prolonged use in mechanical apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A sensorized fastener with a pin that can be automatically manipulated and stably fixed within a cavity, maintaining a stable connection under extreme dynamic and thermal stresses, and integrating sensors for signal detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are installed on fasteners to detect working conditions, then measurement capability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to sensor detachment risk under high stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The pin is inserted into a cavity within the fastener shank, creating a nested structure where the pin is housed inside the fastener. This nesting provides mechanical protection and stable retention of the pin-mounted sensors under high mechanical and thermal stresses, preventing sensor detachment while enabling working condition detection
Solution Approach 2:
The pin acts as an intermediary component between the sensors and the fastener shank. The pin transmits mechanical stresses from the fastener to the sensors while providing a stable mounting structure, enabling reliable signal transmission without direct sensor attachment to the fastener surface
2Measurement precision
If sensorized fasteners are manually assembled in the laboratory, then measurement capability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to limited production capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The sensorized fastener is divided into separate modular components: the fastener shank with cavity, the pin with mounted sensors, and the sensing element. This segmentation enables independent manufacturing of each component using automated processes, followed by automated assembly, thereby increasing production volume while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The pin serves multiple functions: it acts as a mechanical support structure for the sensors, a transmission element for mechanical stresses, and a mounting component within the fastener cavity. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying automated assembly processes and increasing productivity
3Measurement precision
If known-type sensorized fasteners are used for bench tests, then measurement capability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to high production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The pin is designed as a simple, easily manufacturable component that can be produced at low cost using automated processes. While the pin with mounted sensors may have limited service life under extreme conditions, its low production cost enables economical replacement and large-scale manufacturing, making sensorized fasteners viable for production applications rather than just bench testing
Data Source
AI summary
A sensorized fastener, in particular a screw, having a shank with a cavity laterally delimited by a lateral surface and extending between an opening, through which the cavity faces the outside of the fastening body, and an end portion. The sensorized fastener has a pin with a support formed by a head, a foot and an intermediate portion, which is interposed between the head and the foot, and a sensing element which is applied to the intermediate portion. The pin is inserted, at least partially, through the opening within the cavity, so that the foot of the pin is fixed to the end portion of the cavity.