Limiting Spring Washer Structure for Stable Bolt-Limiter Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
In bolt assemblies, Belleville spring washers fail to provide stable contact between the bolt and limiter, leading to potential drift of attached components due to diagonal disposition and lack of flat surface compression, causing damage and loosening over time.
Innovation Solution
A limiting spring washer with a main body and frustoconical side portion, where the main body thickness is greater than the leg thickness, providing a flat surface contact between the spring washer, bolt, and limiter, ensuring stable load distribution and minimizing damage to components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a Belleville spring washer is compressed between the bolt and the limiter, then the spring washer provides load absorption and clamp load retention, but the spring washer becomes diagonally disposed and does not provide a flat surface for stable contact
Solution Approach 1:
The spring washer is segmented into a main body portion and a side portion, where the main body portion provides flat surface contact for stability while the side portion provides the frustoconical shape for load absorption. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the spring washer are given different geometric qualities: the main body portion has a flat base surface for stable contact, while the side portion has a frustoconical shape for elastic deformation and load absorption. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between stability and load absorption.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the spring washer moves around under fatigue and wear, then the spring washer continues to provide load absorption, but the flange and component drift away from one another
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the contact function (main body portion with flat base surface) from the load absorption function (side portion), the design ensures that the flat contact surface maintains stable positioning while the side portion handles the fatigue and wear from load cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The main body portion acts as an intermediary between the bolt and limiter, providing a stable flat contact surface that prevents drift, while the side portion serves as the load-absorbing element that accommodates fatigue and wear over time.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the main body thickness is greater than the leg thickness, then the spring washer provides a flat surface contact for stable compression, but the spring washer requires more material and may be harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The main body portion is given greater thickness to provide the flat contact surface, while the side portion is thinner to facilitate elastic deformation. This local differentiation optimizes both stability and manufacturability by concentrating material only where needed for the flat contact function.
Solution Approach 2:
The asymmetric thickness distribution (main body thicker than side portion) allows the spring washer to provide stable flat contact while maintaining ease of manufacture. The thinner side portion can be more easily formed and deformed during manufacturing and service.
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 solution maintains a stable connection between components by absorbing a significant portion of the bolt load, preventing drift and damage, especially when joining dissimilar materials, with at least 54% of the total load absorbed by the limiter, thus ensuring long-term assembly integrity.
Implementation Method 1
A spring washer, such as a Belleville spring, may also be used to improve bolt clamp load retention
Data Source
AI summary
A limiting spring washer includes a main body portion and a side portion, which may be a frustoconical, extending from the main body portion. The main body portion defines a washer aperture therethrough. The main body portion is thicker than the side portion. A bolt assembly includes a part defining a part aperture therethrough. A limiter is disposed within the part aperture. A bolt is configured to attach the part to an item. In the bolt assembly, the limiting spring washer is disposed in contact with the limiter, the bolt, and the part. The bolt is configured to apply a total load, a first portion of the total load being absorbed by the part, and a second portion of the total load being absorbed by the limiter.