Temporary Fastener with Rotating Hook for Wide Clamping Range
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temporary fasteners for the aeronautical industry face challenges in accommodating a wide range of structural thicknesses without increasing the fastener body length, limiting their versatility in assembly applications.
Innovation Solution
The fastener design features a tubular body with longitudinal tabs that can slide in grooves on a tubular base, a hooking element with elastic clips and a driving mechanism, allowing for adjustable clamping capacity by rotating the hooking element relative to the body, which enables the fastener to accommodate structures of varying thicknesses without lengthening the fastener body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the fastener body length is increased to accommodate wider clamping range, then the adaptability to different structural thicknesses is improved, but the device complexity and overall dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener employs a dynamic adjustment mechanism where the hooking element can rotate relative to the body between a first position (minimum clamping capacity) and a second position (maximum clamping capacity). This rotational movement dynamically changes the effective clamping range without requiring the fastener body itself to be longer, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hooking element is nested within the fastener body, allowing it to rotate inside the cylindrical body. This nesting arrangement enables the hooking element to provide variable clamping capacity through rotation while maintaining a compact overall structure, avoiding the need to increase the fastener body length.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a rotating spreader design is used to adjust clamping capacity, then the adaptability to different thicknesses is improved, but the clips experience premature wear
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the rotation function from the spreader (making it stationary) and relocates it to the hooking element. This separation eliminates the harmful relative rotation between the spreader and clips, preventing premature clip wear while preserving the ability to adjust clamping capacity through hooking element rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The hooking element acts as an intermediary that provides the adjustment function without directly contacting the clips during rotation. By rotating the hooking element instead of the spreader, the clips remain stationary relative to the spreader, eliminating friction and wear between these components.
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
This design allows for a wide clamping range between minimum and maximum structural thicknesses, providing a versatile and efficient assembly solution that prevents premature wear of clips, unlike existing rotating spreader designs.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of elastic clips connected to one end of said base, each clip comprising a hooking spur
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a fastener (10) for the temporary assembly of structures (12, 13), comprising: a tubular body, extending between a first end and a second end comprising at least two longitudinal tabs (46); a hooking element, rotationally prevented and capable of sliding axially in the body, said fastening element comprising a tubular base and a plurality of elastic clips (62) connected to one end of said base, each clip comprising a hooking spur (74); a driving device for the fastening element; and a spreader (26) fixed relative to the body, the plurality of elastic clips being positioned around said spreader. The tubular base (60) comprises two longitudinal grooves in an outer surface; and the fastener is configured so that each tab (46) of the body is capable of sliding axially in one of said grooves.