Patent Application
20240390995
A countersink is a conical hole cut into a manufactured object, or the cutter used to cut such a hole. A common use is to allow the head of a countersunk bolt, screw, or rivet, when placed in the hole, to sit flush with or below the surface of the surrounding material. By comparison, a counterbore makes a flat-bottomed hole that might be used with a socket-head capscrew. A countersink may also be used to remove the burr left from a drilling or tapping operation, thereby improving the finish of the product and removing any hazardous sharp edges.
A countersink tool is disclosed. The countersink tool includes a shank having a shank longitudinal axis. The countersink tool also includes a neck coupled to or integral with the shank. The countersink tool also includes an insert housing coupled to or integral with the neck. The insert housing has an insert housing longitudinal axis. The insert housing longitudinal axis is parallel to and offset from the shank longitudinal axis.
A countersink tool configured to form a countersink in an object is also disclosed. The countersink tool includes a shank having a shank width and a shank longitudinal axis. The countersink tool also includes a neck coupled to or integral with the shank. The neck has a neck width and a neck longitudinal axis. The countersink tool also includes an insert housing coupled to or integral with the neck. The insert housing has an insert housing width and an insert housing longitudinal axis. The insert housing width is less than the shank width and greater than the neck width. The shank longitudinal axis, the neck longitudinal axis, and the insert housing longitudinal axis are parallel to and laterally-offset from one another. The neck longitudinal axis is between the shank longitudinal axis and the insert housing longitudinal axis. The insert housing defines an opening and a slot. The countersink tool also includes an insert configured to be positioned within the slot in the insert housing. The insert defines an opening that is configured to be aligned with the opening in the insert housing when the insert is positioned within the slot. The insert includes a tapered surface. The tapered surface is oriented at an angle with respect to the insert housing longitudinal axis. The angle is from about 40 degrees to about 70 degrees. The neck, the insert housing, and the insert are configured to be inserted at least partially through a hole in the object. The tapered surface of the insert is configured to form the countersink in the object while the neck is positioned in the hole. A ratio of a diameter of the countersink to a diameter of the hole is from about 1.8:1 to about 3:1.
A method for producing a countersink in an object is also disclosed. The method includes aligning an insert housing of a countersink tool with a hole in an object. The insert housing has an insert housing longitudinal axis. The method also includes moving the insert housing and a neck of the countersink tool at least partially through the hole while the insert housing is aligned with the hole. The method also includes aligning a shank of the countersink tool with the hole once the insert housing has passed through the hole. The shank has a shank longitudinal axis. The insert housing longitudinal axis is parallel to and offset from the shank longitudinal axis.
The above and/or other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description of examples, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Exemplary aspects will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of the disclosure, however, can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the examples set forth herein. Rather, these examples are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, some details may be simplified and/or may be drawn to facilitate understanding rather than to maintain strict structural accuracy, detail, and/or scale.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on.” “associated with,” “connected to,” “electrically connected to,” or “coupled to” to another component, it may be directly on, associated with, connected to, electrically connected to, or coupled to the other component or intervening components may be present. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly associated with,” “directly connected to,” “directly electrically connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another component, there are no intervening components present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, and/or directions, these elements, components, and/or directions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, and/or direction from another element, component, and/or direction. For example, a first element, component, or direction could be termed a second element, component, or direction without departing from the teachings of examples.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below.” “lower,” “above.” “upper,” and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one component and/or feature to another component and/or feature, or other component(s) and/or feature(s), as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation(s) depicted in the figures.
The countersink tool 100 may also include a neck 120 that is coupled to or integral with the shank 110. The neck 120 may be at least partially cylindrical. The neck 120 may have a smaller width (e.g., diameter) than the shank 110.
The countersink tool 100 may also include an insert housing 130 that is coupled to or integral with the neck 120. The neck 120 may be positioned between the shank 110 and the insert housing 130. The insert housing 130 may be at least partially cylindrical. The insert housing 130 may have a smaller width (e.g., diameter) than the shank 110 and a larger width (e.g., diameter) than the neck 120.
The insert housing 130 may include a side surface 132 and an inner surface 134. The side surface 132 may be at least partially cylindrical. The inner surface 134 may be substantially planar and face the shank 110 and/or the neck 120. The inner surface 134 may also or instead be referred to as a tapered surface. The insert housing 130 may also define an opening 140 formed at least partially therethrough. The insert housing 130 may also define a slot 150. In the example shown, the slot 150 is substantially vertical; however, the slot 150 may be any shape that is complimentary to the insert 160 (described below). As shown, the slot 150 may also be partially defined within the neck 120.
The countersink tool 100 may also include or be configured to receive an insert (also referred to as a cutter) 160. More particularly, the insert 160 may be configured to be inserted at least partially into the slot 150 formed in the neck 120 and/or the insert housing 130.
The insert 160 may include a side surface 162. The side surface 162 of the insert 160 may be configured to be recessed, flush, and/or protrude outward with respect to the side surface 132 of the insert housing 130 when the insert 160 is positioned within the slot 150. The insert 160 may also include an inner surface 164 that faces the shank 110 and/or the neck 120. The inner surface 164 may also or instead be referred to as a tapered surface and/or a cutting edge. The tapered surface 164 of the insert 160 may be configured to protrude outward with respect to the tapered surface 134 of the insert housing 130 when the insert 130 is positioned within the slot 150. This may allow the tapered surface (i.e., the cutting edge) 164 to cut the countersink into the object, as described below.
The insert 160 may also define an opening 170 formed at least partially therethrough. The openings 140, 170 may be aligned when the insert 160 is positioned within the slot 150. This may allow a fastening member (e.g., screw or bolt) to be inserted to through the openings 140, 170 to couple the insert 160 to the insert housing 130 (i.e., to secure the insert 160 within the slot 150). In another embodiment, the insert 160 may be brazed or adhered to the slot 150 in the insert housing 130.
The tapered surface 134 of the insert housing 130 and/or the tapered surface 164 of the insert 160 may be oriented at an angle 240 with respect to the axis 210 (and/or axes 220, 230). The angle 240 may be from about 40 degrees to about 70 degrees, about 45 degrees to about 65 degrees, or about 50 degrees to about 60 degrees.
The geometry of the neck 120 may be the intersectional area of two cylinders with diameters equal to or less than the diameter of the hole 510 (or 512), with the first cylinder axis 210 along the axis of the shank 110, and the second cylinder axis 230 offset based upon the hole diameter 512 and/or the (e.g., desired) countersink diameter 522. More particularly, the second cylinder axis 230 may be offset by:
The method 600 may include forming the hole 510 in the object 500, as at 610. The object 500 may be part of a vehicle. For example, the object 500 may be part of an aircraft (e.g., helicopter, airplane, unmanned aerial vehicle) or a spacecraft (e.g., satellite, space probe, spaceship). In an example, the hole 510 may be formed by a drill.
The method 600 may also include aligning the insert housing 130 with the hole 510 in the object 500, as at 620. This is shown in
The method 600 may also include moving the insert housing 130 through the hole 510 in the object 500, as at 630. This is shown in
The method 600 may also include aligning the shank 110 with the hole 510 in the object 500, as at 640. This is shown in
The method 600 may also include forming the countersink 520 in the object 500, as at 650. This is shown in
Once the countersink 520 has been formed, the steps (e.g., 620-640) may be reversed to remove the countersink tool 100 from the object 500. Then, the method 600 may include inserting a fastener into the hole 510 and/or countersink 520 in the object 500, as at 660. The fastener may be or include a countersunk bolt, screw, or rivet. A head of the fastener may be positioned at least partially in the countersink 520 such that an outer surface of the head may be flush or recessed with respect to the surface of the object 500.
While the foregoing disclosure has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of this disclosure that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true scope of the disclosure and may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. For example, all the methods, systems, and/or component parts or other aspects thereof can be used in various combinations. All patents, patent applications, websites, other publications or documents, and the like cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual item were specifically and individually indicated to be so incorporated by reference.
