Patent Application
20070266570
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
In one or more embodiments, the invention may comprise a method for determining whether a location or potential location of a hole in a structure meets a pre-determined threshold. In some embodiments, an area around a location or potential location of a hole in a structure may be analyzed utilizing one of the methods of the invention to determine whether the area is sufficiently uniform in order for the hole to accommodate a fastener device. In other embodiments, apparatus are disclosed having one or more fastener devices extending through one or more holes in a structure. The location or potential location of the one or more holes may have been approved for insertion of the one or more fastener devices utilizing a pre-determined threshold standard under the invention.
In one embodiment of the invention, a method may be provided for checking the location or potential location of one or more holes in one or more structures relative to edges, fillets, and thickness changes in the structures. For purposes of this application, the term hole refers both to a pre-existing hole in a structure and to a potential hole in a structure, and this invention applies to both situations. The methods of the invention may utilize one or more computers or computer software to carry out any of the disclosed steps in checking the locations or potential locations of one or more holes in one or more structures.
In one embodiment of a method under the invention, as shown in
One or more center-lines 16 extending through the centers of the potential holes 12 may be determined. Preferably, the center-lines 16 extend parallel to the axis of the holes 12 and perpendicular to end surfaces 18 defining the holes 12 in the structure 14. In other embodiments, the center-lines 16 may extend in any orientation or configuration. At least one radius 20 may be determined which defines a circle 22 extending around the potential holes 12 within which edges, fillets, and thickness changes of the structure 14 are to be checked for. The radius 20 of the circle 22 may be substantially equal to the amount of two (2) times a diameter 11 of the hole 12 plus the sum of three-one-hundreds of an inch (0.03″). This radius may be used to check for edges. In other embodiments, the radius 20 of the circle 22 may be determined utilizing varying formulas. For instance, in another embodiment, the radius 20 of the circle 22 may be substantially equal to the amount of one (1) times a diameter 11 of the hole 12 plus the sum of nine-one-hundreds of an inch (0.09″). This radius may be used to check for fillets or thickness changes. The circle 22 may be defined on an end surface 18 of the structure 14 defining the potential hole 12. In other embodiments, the area around the potential holes being checked may comprise varying radiuses, sizes, locations, configurations, and orientations.
A plurality of segments 24 may be created around the circle 22 which extend beyond end surfaces 18 defining the hole 12. In one embodiment, substantially in the range of fifteen (15) to fifty (50) segments 24 may be created around a circumference of the circle 22. In other embodiments, any number of segments 24 may be used. The segments 24 may comprise a plurality of one-directional lines distributed around a circumference 26 of the circle 22. In another embodiment, the segments 24 may comprise a plurality of areas or solid volumes, such as cylinders, rectangles, or squares, distributed around a circumference 26 of the circle 22. In still other embodiments, the segments 24 may comprise varying shapes, types, sizes, orientations, and configurations.
Intersecting portions 28 may be determined for each individual segment 24 in each hole location 10. The intersecting portions 28 may comprise the portions 28 of each segment 24 in each potential hole location 10 which intersect (or travel through the same space) with the structure 14. In one embodiment, the intersecting portions 28 may comprise the intersecting length and/or intersecting volume of the portion 28 of each segment 24 which intersects (or travels through the same space) as one or more portions of the structure 14. For example, with respect to the potential hole location 10 within the dotted box marked 3-3 in
The intersecting portions 28 of each of the segments 24 in each potential hole location 10 may be compared with respect to one-another. For instance, in the embodiment in which the intersecting portions 28 comprise the respective lengths of each line segment 24 intersecting with the structure 14, each intersecting length of each respective line segment 24 may be compared relative to one another. As an example,
Upon comparing each of the intersecting portions 28 in each potential hole location 10, if the intersecting portions 28 of the segments 24 are not within a pre-determined threshold, the particular hole location 10 may be flagged as a potential problem. The pre-determined threshold may comprise requiring each segment 24 to be within a specified percentage of one another. For instance, in one embodiment where the pre-determined threshold requires that each segment 24 in each potential hole location 10 be within ten (10) percent of the mean (average) of all the measured line-segments, the table shown in
The methods of the invention may be implemented, utilizing a computer, software, or other type of device, to check the suitability of a hole location and/or potential hole location in a structure for one or more fastener devices. In such manner, the determination of whether a hole location and/or potential hole location is suitable for a fastener device may become an automated process implemented by a computer.
In another embodiment under the invention, an apparatus may be provided which comprises a structure having one or more fasteners extending through one or more holes defined in the structure. The location of the one or more holes may have been approved for use of the one or more fasteners utilizing any of the above disclosed embodiments under the invention. For instance, the location of the one or more holes may have been approved for use of the one or more fasteners utilizing at least one of a computer and software which located the holes; determined a center-line of the holes; determined a radius defining a circle extending around each hole; created a plurality of segments around each circle; determined intersecting portions of the segments with respect to the structure; compared the intersecting portions of the segments; and approved each hole for fastener device usage after determining that the intersecting portions of the segments were within pre-determined thresholds.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
