Wedge Fastener Segmentation for Extreme Environment Disassembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners, such as threaded bolts and nuts, fail in extreme ambient conditions like high temperatures and corrosive environments, leading to fusion or corrosion, making them difficult to remove and resulting in significant downtime and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A wedge fastener system comprising a pin with an elongate slot and a wedge with angled surfaces, along with a locking key and bolt, which securely grips flanges together, preventing fusion and corrosion, and allowing for easy disassembly with reduced downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional threaded bolts and nuts are used to couple flanges together, then the connection provides initial security, but the fasteners fuse or corrode in extreme high temperatures and corrosive environments making them difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into separate components: a pin with an elongate slot, a wedge that fits into the slot, and a locking mechanism. This segmentation allows the wedge to be removed independently from the pin, enabling easy disassembly without cutting the entire fastener while maintaining secure connection during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge acts as an intermediary element between the pin and the flanges. It provides the gripping force against the flanges while being accessible through the elongate slot for removal. This intermediary design allows the connection to be secure during operation but easily disassembled by removing only the wedge portion.
2Strength
If larger diameter bolts are used to ensure sufficient fastening strength, then the connection strength increases, but the time and energy required to cut through the bolts increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the fastener into a pin and a removable wedge, the design allows the use of a smaller pin diameter that provides sufficient fastening strength while enabling quick removal of the wedge component without cutting through the entire fastener, significantly reducing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge is extracted as a separate removable component from the pin assembly. This allows the pin to be optimized for strength with appropriate diameter while the wedge can be quickly removed through the elongate slot, eliminating the need to cut through large diameter bolts and reducing removal time and energy consumption.
3Reliability
If threaded fasteners are used in corrosive environments, then the connection is initially secure, but corrosion causes the nuts to fuse to the bolts making them non-removable
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener system is segmented into a pin, wedge, and locking mechanism. This segmentation allows the wedge to be removed independently through the elongate slot, enabling easy disassembly and repair without cutting the pin, even after prolonged exposure to corrosive environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge serves as an intermediary component that can be independently accessed and removed through the elongate slot. This design allows maintenance personnel to disassemble the connection for repair by removing only the wedge without affecting the pin, maintaining ease of repair even in corrosive environments where fusion would affect traditional threaded fasteners.
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 wedge fastener system effectively maintains secure connections in extreme conditions without fusing or corroding, enabling quick and efficient disassembly with smaller, easier-to-remove components, reducing downtime and safety risks.
Implementation Method 1
The wedge includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and first and second side surfaces that increase in width as defined between the upper surface and the lower surface along a longitudinal length of the wedge
Implementation Method 2
The inner surface of the at least on locking key includes a plurality of angled ridges adjacent to the transverse slot and configured to engage the plurality of angled slots in the at least one side surface of the wedge
Data Source
AI summary
A wedge fastener configured for use in extreme ambient conditions includes a pin or bolt having a head and a shank with an elongate slot through the shank. The wedge fastener also includes a wedge sized so that at least a portion of the wedge may extend through the elongate slot to grip a flange between the head and the wedge. The wedge fastener also includes a locking mechanism for locking the wedge in a gripping position against the flange. In one example, the locking mechanism includes locking keys with angled ridges configured to slide in angled slots on the wedge until the locking keys engage the shank. In another example, the locking mechanism includes a jack plate attached to the wedge and adjustment screws for engaging the shank to pull the wedge through the elongate slot.