Socket Drive End Curved Recesses Reduce Stress Concentration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The drive end of sockets is prone to failure due to stress concentration at sharp inner corners, especially under high torque loads, and existing standards do not address design considerations that lead to fractures or premature wear, particularly in spline sockets used in demanding applications.
Innovation Solution
A socket design with a drive end opening featuring diametrically opposed pairs of flat side surfaces, curved recess surfaces, and outwardly diverging transition surfaces that distribute torque loads away from inner corners, reducing stress concentration and enhancing contact area with the drive anvil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If sockets are made with sharp inner corners at the drive end to comply with existing standards, then manufacturing is simpler and standards are met, but stress concentration occurs leading to fracture and premature failure under high torque loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing sharp inner corners with rounded corners at the drive end of the socket. This spherical/curved geometry eliminates stress concentration points that cause fracture under high torque loads, particularly in spline sockets used in demanding applications like aerospace. The rounded corners redistribute stress evenly across the socket wall, preventing catastrophic failure while maintaining compliance with industry standards.
2Force
If spline sockets are used to handle high torque loads in demanding applications, then torque capacity is improved, but stress concentration at sharp inner corners causes fracture and reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses reliability by rounding the inner corners of spline sockets that are designed to handle high torque loads. The curved geometry eliminates stress concentration points that would otherwise lead to fracture under the enhanced torque capacities. This allows the sockets to maintain their high torque handling ability while significantly improving reliability in demanding applications such as aerospace fastener installation.
3Area of stationary object
If drive end opening has sharp inner corners, then contact area with drive anvil is reduced, but manufacturing is easier and existing standards are met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent increases the contact area between the drive end opening and the drive anvil by rounding the inner corners. The curved surfaces provide a larger effective contact area compared to sharp corners, which improves load distribution and reduces stress concentration. While the geometry becomes slightly more complex, the rounding can be achieved through standard manufacturing processes and ensures compliance with industry standards while enhancing performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved socket having a drive end opening being so dimensioned for receiving a drive anvil, the opening comprising a plurality of bounding surfaces parallel to a central axis and being disposed in diametrically opposed pairs about the axis, where the diametrically opposed pairs of bounding surfaces include: at least two pairs of flat side surfaces being parallel to each other about the central axis; at least two pairs of curved recess surfaces forming respective inner corners of the drive end opening; and adjacent pairs of outwardly diverging transition surfaces transitioning between respectively adjacent pairs of the flat side surfaces and the curved recess surfaces. The improved socket increases corner radius for minimizing stress concentration at the corners and provides outwardly diverging transition surfaces for relocating the areas of maximum stress away from the corners.