The present invention relates to a new lightweight fastener designed for use in a variety of industries, especially in the automotive industry, such as construction, machine manufacturing, building and railway, and to a drive apparatus compatible with said fastener that applies the torque required for its tightening and loosening. More specifically, the present invention relates to a self-aligning and cost-efficient lightweight fastener as it requires less raw material use thanks to its new design, and to a driving apparatus that applies an effective torque transfer for insertion and removal of this fastener into the workpiece at the desired performance.
Mandatory emission targets have been set for vehicles in road transport, where carbon emissions are largely caused, by published regulations since the negative effects of carbon emissions on climate change have reached dangerous levels in recent years. Therefore, weight reduction efforts in the automotive industry have gained importance in recent years in order to reduce the fuel consumption that causes carbon emissions. A significant reduction in the weight of the produced vehicle can be achieved thanks to the weight reduction works on the fasteners, considering the high number of connections used in a passenger vehicle. Targeting weight reduction by making changes in components used in the construction and machine manufacturing industry as well as automotive is one of the most important engineering applications. Any weight reduction application that can be made without compromising the safety, integrity, physical and mechanical properties of the connection affects many factors from assembly to product or structure performance and cost.
Fasteners with hexagonal head form are widely used in the fastener industry. Torque is applied to the head part with six corner shapes so that the fastener rotates axially and thus engages the helical threads of the other fastener in which it is mated during the assembly of the fastener. The torque applied by a standard key or drive apparatus to tighten or loosen the fastener is transmitted through certain sections where the key or drive apparatus contacts the hexagonal head of the fastener during tightening and loosening. These contacts in the hexagonal head part correspond to a very small portion of the head of the fastener. Therefore, widely used fasteners with hexagonal heads contain more raw material than is required in the head for the purpose of tightening and loosening. This creates a disadvantage in terms of the weight, processing and cost of the fastener. In order to use a standard drive apparatus for tightening and loosening processes in the said fasteners, it is provided in weight reduction by leaving the parts where only the torque applied with the drive apparatus is transmitted in the head part and removing the other parts in order to protect the six corner shapes of the head part of the fastener. This situation limits the rate of weight reduction and the weight reduction in the designs cannot generally exceed the range of 20-28%.
In the prior art, a lightweight fastener is described in EP 2318725 B1 as an example of the above-mentioned situation, the fastener comprising a threaded body with a longitudinal axis; structural beams, a tightening area, three lugs with an angle of approximately 0, 120 and 240 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the threaded body; a tightening and a loosening area adapted to engage a standard hexagonal head tool; and three concave surfaces extending between two adjacent lugs from the three lugs.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,302,119 B2 describes a fastener comprising a body part having a first end and a second end disposed away from the first end, a lower periphery adjacent the second end of the body part, an upper periphery disposed away from the lower periphery, and a head part having a body extending between the lower periphery and the upper periphery. The head part of the said fastener is designed to engage a standard hexagonal socket and its lower periphery is hexagonal and its upper periphery is different from the lower periphery and therefore different from the hexagon.
EP 3330551 B1 describes a lightweight and high-strength fastener having both an outer contour passing into the drive system and an inner contour passing into the drive system, with pocket-shaped sections in the inner contour passing into the drive system. Thanks to this special design of the fastener, it can be applied with standard systems.
The part of a standard drive that externally grips the head part of the fastener to transfer torque and is compatible with the head shape of the fastener is dimensionally slightly larger than the head part so that it can easily grip the head part. This causes the tool to turn slightly idle before coming into contact with the fastener for the initial actuation. When the tool continues to rotate, the surface of the part of the tool that grips the fasteners makes a point contact by contacting the corners of the fastener and if the torque application continues, these parts of the fastener may be damaged.
Stripping problems may occur when the standard drive apparatus, which grips the fastener externally to tighten or loosen the fasteners with the hexagonal head part designed for weight reduction, continues to apply torque. There may be a problem of stripping due to the fact that the user of the drive apparatus cannot align the drive apparatus with the axis of the fastener, and that the drive apparatus cannot contact a sufficiently large surface area in the fastener to apply an effective torque. The torque required for tightening and loosening the fastener cannot be transferred to the fastener by the drive apparatus and the operation cannot be carried out as required in the event of a stripping problem. However, since deformation occurs in the head part of the fastener due to stripping, there is a loss in the active contact area where the drive apparatus contacts and a connection cannot be made in which the desired locking is achieved. It is desirable to avoid stripping until reaching the desired torque and/or locking load in an effective fastener design. In addition, the problem of stripping of the fastener limits the number of use of the said fastener in cases where repeated disassembly-assembly procedures are required at service points.
The person using the drive apparatus that grips the fastener externally should also pay attention to center the fastener in order to perform the tightening process quickly without damaging the fastener and causing the problem of not being able to tighten due to stripping in order to apply torque to the fastener with the hexagonal head part. Otherwise, problems such as locking, stripping, deformation of the system, and falling of the fastener may occur during the assembly of the fastener. Cases where the fastener cannot be properly centered also lead to serious work safety problems in the assembly lines. The drive apparatus may fall quickly from the hand of the operator making the connection or may be ejected due to angular movement. Furthermore, it causes a loss of time and can reduce the efficiency when assembling a plurality of fasteners in succession. This situation, which is experienced during torquing, gains more importance, especially in robotic applications.
Since fasteners that can be tightened with a standard drive apparatus are also open to the intervention of persons other than authorized persons, problems in terms of safety and security are likely to be encountered. Meanwhile, when there is a problem with the fastener, it may cause the problem to not be solved or to be solved in a longer time because it can be intervened by inexperienced people before professional support.
There is a need for a lightweight fastener that overcomes the above problems in the art and a drive apparatus that is compatible with the design of this fastener considering the above. In more detail, a fastener that enables the effective transfer of the torque applied by the drive apparatus during tightening and loosening and a drive apparatus that is compatible with this fastener and allows the fastener to be self-centered are needed, in addition to the fact that a greater amount of weight reduction can be realized with this head shape compared to the traditional methods unlike the traditional methods applied in weight reduction in fasteners with a hexagonal head part.
The main object of the invention is to provide a lightweight fastener with an improved head shape, a drive apparatus customized for tightening and loosening this fastener, and a combination of fastener—drive apparatus in order to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages in the known state of the art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener in which the applied torque is effectively transferred, in addition to being less weighted than the fasteners with a conventional hexagonal head part thanks to the improved head shape.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight fastener with an improved head part with contact zones that enable effective transfer of the torque applied by the drive apparatus during tightening and loosening operations.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight fastener that allows the realization of connections that do not experience stripping problems until reaching the desired torque and/or locking load during assembly and thus can achieve the desired locking for an effective connection.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight fastener that provides a cost advantage as a result of using less raw material than the fasteners with a traditional hexagonal head part in the head part and preventing the use of unnecessary raw material.
Another object of the invention is to provide a drive apparatus that applies torque to the fastener for tightening and loosening the fastener developed to achieve the aforementioned purposes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a drive apparatus that is compatible with the developed lightweight fastener and allows the assembly of the system achieved by eliminating the problems of the system that can be encountered during assembly such as locking, stripping, deformation, and falling of the fastener thanks to the self-aligning of the fastener.
Another object of the invention is to provide a drive apparatus that enables repeated use of the fastener without any problem in cases where repeated disassembly and assembly of the lightweight fastener is required.
Another object of the invention is to provide a combination of fastener and drive apparatus that performs the above objects, in which a safe and robust connection is formed, in which the torque effective for tightening and loosening a lightweight fastener is applied as required.
The fastener according to the invention developed to achieve the above-mentioned objects comprises:
characterized in that the height of each of the support elements, whose longitudinal axes intersect at the center of the head, increases while radially extending from the periphery of the head to the center of the head, and
the side walls on both sides of each support element and the intermediate walls connecting the side walls of two successive support elements facing each other form surfaces where the drive apparatus for tightening and loosening is engaged to the fastener and torque is transferred to the fastener.
The head part of the fastener according to the invention and thus the periphery of the head can have any shape, but is preferably circular. The head part is located above the flange part and the perimeter of the flange and the perimeter of the head are aligned.
The fastener according to the invention can be any externally threaded fastener such as bolts, screws, and preferably bolts.
There is a side wall on both sides of each support element in the head of the fastener according to the invention, and each side wall includes an upper edge and a lower edge. The upper edge and the lower edge on any side wall of each support element are closest to each other in line with the periphery of the head and gradually move away from each other towards the center, so that the height of the support element increases from the periphery of the head to the head center. The support elements extending radially from the periphery of the head to the center have a minimum height in line with the periphery of the head and reach the maximum height in the center where all three support elements meet. The minimum and maximum heights of all the support elements are equal to each other according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the upper edges on each side wall of the support elements extend from the periphery of the head to the center by making the same angle with the horizontal.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the width of each of the support elements gradually decreases from the periphery of the head towards the center. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the maximum widths of the support elements in the fastener at the level of the head periphery and the widths of the support elements extending radially towards the center at a certain distance from the center (i.e. a certain radius from the center) are also the same. The side walls on both sides of each support element are farthest from each other in line with the periphery of the head, and the side walls gradually approach each other while the support elements extend radially towards the center. Thus, while the upper edges of each side wall on both sides of the support elements are gradually approaching each other from the periphery of the head towards the center, the lower edges, which are axially aligned with them, are gradually approaching each other towards the center, and thus the width of the support element decreases as it extends from the periphery of the head towards the center.
An arc-shaped intermediate wall is formed by bending and joining the side wall towards the opposite side wall to form an arc as the side walls of the two successive support elements facing each other extend radially towards the center.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper edge and the lower edge of each side wall are axially aligned in the support elements and the lower and upper edge in each side wall extend axially in line from the periphery to the center of the head.
According to an embodiment of the invention the head of the fastener is located adjacent and above the flange and the support elements are located above the flange. The lower surface of the flange part is located on the horizontal plane, while the upper surface extends radially from the periphery of the flange to the center in an inclined way. The bottom surface of the grooves between the support elements located at the top of the flange and the top surface of the flange are the same. Therefore, while the upper surface of the flange part extends radially inclined from the periphery of the flange to the center of the head, the base of the groove part extends radially from the periphery of the head to the center at the same incline.
According to an embodiment of the invention, since the support elements are located on the upper surface of the flange, the lower surface of the support elements and thus of the side walls on both sides of each support element also extend radially towards the center of the head with the same inclination as the upper surface of the flange. Accordingly, the angle of the upper surface of the flange with the horizontal axis as it extends radially from the periphery of the flange towards the center is the same as the angle of each lower edge of the side walls of the support element with the horizontal axis as it extends from the periphery of the head towards the center.
According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the upper edges of the side walls of the support element extends in a radially inclined manner towards the center by making the same angle with the horizontal. The angle of each upper edge of the side walls of the support elements with the horizontal axis is greater than the angle of each lower edge of the side walls of the support elements with the horizontal axis.
The drive apparatus transfers the torque by contacting the active contact surfaces formed by the side walls and the intermediate walls connecting the side walls of the support elements during tightening and loosening of the fastener. The angle made by the upper edges and lower edges of the side walls with the horizontal plane affecting the size of the area of the active contact surfaces as well as the number of support elements is of critical importance.
In the fastener according to the invention, the angle of the upper surface of the flange and therefore the angle of each lower edge on the side walls of each support element located on the upper surface of the flange, while radially extending from the periphery of the head to the center, with the horizontal axis is 0° to 45°, preferably 1° to 30°, more preferably 2° to 20°.
In the fastener according to the invention, the angle of each upper edge on the side walls of each support element, while upper edge extending radially from the periphery of the head to the center, with the horizontal axis is 5° to 75°, preferably 10° to 60°, more preferably 12° to 45°, most preferably 15° to 35°.
The angles between the side walls of any two successive support elements facing each other in the fastener according to the invention may also be different from each other, or preferably at least two of them may be equal to each other and the other may be different. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the angles between the side walls of any two successive support elements facing each other are equal and are 50° to 105°, preferably 60° to 100°, more preferably 70° to 95°.
The fastener according to the invention preferably has three support elements, and the longitudinal axes of these support elements intersect at the center of the head. The longitudinal axes of the support elements are defined as the radially extending lines passing through the center of the head along the support element. The angles between the longitudinal axes of two successive support elements may be different from each other, or preferably at least two of them may be equal to each other and the other may be different. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the angles between the longitudinal axes of two successive support elements are equal to each other and are 120°.
The active contact zones in the fastener according to the invention allow the torque applied by the drive apparatus to be transmitted regionally and homogeneously and thus to perform an effective tightening and loosening process, unlike the application of the torque to the fastener from the point contact zones to tighten or loosen the fasteners with the hexagonal head part by the traditional drive apparatus.
The disassembly and assembly of the lightweight fastener according to the invention, which is specifically designed to make it possible to transfer the torque applied to the head part in a homogeneous manner, is carried out by the drive apparatus specially designed for the fastener.
The drive apparatus, which is engaged to the fastener according to the invention, comprises:
characterized in that each of slots whose longitudinal axes intersect at the center of the head increases in depth as they extend radially from the periphery of the head to the center, and
that the side walls on both sides of each protrusion and the intermediate walls connecting these side walls form the surfaces in which the drive apparatus is engaged to the fastener for tightening and loosening and the torque is transferred from the drive apparatus to the fastener.
The depth of the slots extending radially towards the center of the drive apparatus according to the invention is minimal when they are in line with the periphery of the head and increases towards the center for a fully compatible coupling with the support elements. The height of the support elements of the fastener according to the invention extending radially towards the center increases from the periphery of the head to the center, while the depth of the slots in the drive apparatus also increases from the periphery of the head to the center for a exactly compatible engagement with the support elements.
The head part of the drive apparatus according to the invention and thus the periphery of the head can have any shape, but is preferably circular.
It is seen that the slots and protrusions are inclined from the periphery of the head towards the center when the drive apparatus according to the invention stands on the horizontal plane when the outer edges of the protrusions in the head part of the drive apparatus contact the horizontal plane. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the angle of the base of the slots in the head of the drive apparatus with the horizontal plane is equal to the angle of the upper edges of the support elements in the head of the fastener.
When the fastener and the drive apparatus according to the invention are engaged together, the side walls and the intermediate walls connecting these side walls forming the active contact surfaces in the fastener are opposite to the side walls on both sides of the protrusions in the drive apparatus and the intermediate walls connecting these side walls. Therefore, the side walls on both sides of the said protrusions in the drive apparatus according to the invention and the intermediate walls connecting these side walls also form the active contact surfaces where the torque is transferred from the drive apparatus to the fastener. As a result of bending and orientation of the side walls on both sides of each protrusion on the head of the drive apparatus towards each other to form an arc of a circle, they form arc-shaped intermediate walls.
The angle between the longitudinal axes of any two successive support elements is equal to the angle between the longitudinal axes of the two successive slots through which the said support elements engage in the drive apparatus in accordance with the invention, since the slots in the drive apparatus and the support elements in the fastener should engage tightly together in order to effectively transfer the torque applied by the drive apparatus to the fastener in accordance with the invention. The longitudinal axes of the slots in the head of the drive apparatus are defined as the lines extending radially from the center of the head through the center of the slot along said slot. According to another embodiment of the invention, at least two of the angles between the longitudinal axes of two successive slots in the drive apparatus according to the invention may be equal to each other and the other may be different. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the angles between the longitudinal axes of two successive slots in the head of the drive apparatus are equal to each other and are 120°.
The angle between the side walls of each protrusion in the drive apparatus according to the invention may be different from the angles between the side walls of the other protrusions, or the angle between the side walls of the at least two protrusions may be the same. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the angle between the side walls of each protrusion is equal to the angles between the side walls of the other protrusions and is 50° to 105°, preferably 60° to 100°, more preferably 700 to 95°.
The width of the grooves in the drive apparatus according to the invention, where the support elements in the fastener according to the invention are coupled, decreases as the grooves extend radially from the periphery of the head towards the center. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the maximum widths of the grooves in the drive apparatus at the level of the head periphery and the widths of the grooves extending radially towards the center at a certain distance from the center (i.e. a certain radius from the center) are also the same.
In the present invention, the term “horizontal plane” refers to the plane that represents the independent variable that is assumed to extend forever from left to right, forming the horizontal dimension in the measurement of angle values.
In the present invention, the term “periphery”, more specifically the term “periphery of the head” refers to the outer margin of the head parts of the fastener or drive apparatus.
References to the following figures and detailed descriptions are intended to provide a better understanding of the invention and have no purpose limiting the scope of the invention. The components in the figures were not scaled, only the description of the principles of the invention was emphasized. Different modifications of the parts of the figures represented by references are also possible within the scope of the invention.
The present invention relates to a lightweight fastener that can be applied with a uniquely designed drive apparatus, and that can be fastened at the desired safety and performance. The present invention also relates to a drive apparatus that applies the torque required for effective tightening and loosening of this fastener and to a combination of said fastener and this drive apparatus.
The fastener (10) according to the invention mainly comprises the head (11), flange (12) and shaft (13) as seen in
The head (11) comprising the support elements (14, 15, 16) and the grooves (17, 18, 19) between the two successive support elements has a circular periphery (11a), and according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flange (12) on which the head is located is also circular, and the periphery (12a) of the flange is in line with the periphery (11a) of the head. The support element (14, 15, 16), which extends from the center of the head (20) radially towards the periphery (11a) of the head decreasing in height, ends when it is aligned with the periphery (11a) of the head as seen in
However, it is seen in
The side walls (14b, 15a) of the two successive support elements (14, 15) are connected to each other by an intermediate wall (21). As the side walls (14b, 15a) of the two successive support elements (14, 15) facing each other extend radially towards the center (20), they begin to bend towards the opposite side wall (14b, 15a) after a certain point to form an arc of a circle. It is seen in
However, the support elements (14, 15, 16) extending radially inclined from the periphery (11a) of the head to the center (20) have a minimum height (h1) in line with the periphery (11a) of the head and reach the maximum height (h2) in the center (20) where all three support elements (14, 15, 16) meet. The maximum height of the support elements (14, 15, 16) is equal to the maximum height of the intermediate walls (21, 22, 23). According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the minimum and maximum heights of all the support elements (14, 15, 16) are equal to each other.
The side walls (14b and 15a; 15b and 16a; 16b and 14a) of both successive support elements facing each other and the intermediate walls (21, 22, 23) connecting these side walls respectively form the active surfaces in which the drive apparatus (40) contacts the fastener (10) for tightening and loosening the fastener (10) and transfers the torque required for performing these operations in the fastener in accordance with the invention. Active surfaces are critical for effective transfer of the torque applied by the drive apparatus (40) to the fastener (10) and for tightening and loosening without encountering any problems such as stripping, deformation, locking.
According to another embodiment of the invention, it is seen in
However, since the support elements (14, 15, 16) are located on the upper surface (12b) of the flange, the lower surface of the support elements (14, 15, 16) and thus the lower edges (14a″, 14b″, 15a″, 15b″, 16a″, 16b″) of the side walls on both sides of each support element are also seen in
The upper edges (14a′, 14b′, 15a′, 15b′, 16a′, 16b′) of the support elements also extend in a radially inclined manner towards the center (20), by making a certain angle with the horizontal plane (Y) in the fastener (10) according to the invention. Accordingly, in the fastener (10) according to the invention, each of the upper edges (14a′, 14b′, 15a′, 15b′, 16a′, 16b′) of the side walls of the support elements extends in a radially inclined manner towards the center (20) by making an angle (α″) with the horizontal plane, as well as each of the lower edges (14a″, 14b″, 15a″, 15b″, 16a″, 16b″) of the side walls of the support elements adjacent to the upper surface (12b) of the flange, thus the upper surface (12b) of the flange extends in a radially inclined manner towards the center by making an angle (α′) with the horizontal.
The angle (α″) of each upper edge (14a′, 14b′, 15a′, 15b′, 16a′, 16b′) on the side walls of the support elements with the horizontal plane is the same, similarly, the angle (α′) of each lower edge (14a″, 14b″, 15a″, 15b″, 16a″, 16b″) on the side walls of the support elements with the horizontal plane is the same. As shown in
Considering that the drive apparatus (40) transfers the torque by contacting the active contact surfaces formed by the side walls (14a, 14b, 15a, 15b, 16a, 16b) of the support elements and the intermediate walls (21, 22, 23) that enable the joining of the side walls, besides the number of the support elements, the angle of the upper edges (14a′, 14b′, 15a′, 15b′, 16a′, 16b′) and the lower edges (14a″, 14b″, 15a″, 15b″, 16a″, 16b″) of the side walls with the horizontal plane which affects the size of the area of the active contact surfaces is of critical importance. While the weight of the fastener is significantly reduced, the active contact surface areas are optimized in such a way that the required torque is effectively transferred by the drive apparatus (40) and the removal and fastening processes are carried out repeatedly without any problems such as stripping, deformation and locking in the design of the fastener (10) in accordance with the invention.
In the fastener (10) according to the invention, the angle (α′) of the upper surface (12b) of the flange, and thus of each lower edge (14a″, 14b″, 15a″, 15b″, 16a″, 16b″) on the side walls of each support element located above the upper surface (12b) of the flange, while radially extending from the periphery of the head (11a) to the center (20), with the horizontal plane is 0° to 45°, preferably 1° to 30°, more preferably 2° to 20°.
In the fastener according to the invention, the angle (α″) of each upper edge (14a′, 14b′, 15a′, 15b′, 16a′, 16b′) on the side walls of each support element extending radially from the periphery of the head (11a) to the center (20) with the horizontal plane is 5° to 75°, preferably 10° to 60°, more preferably 12° to 45°, most preferably 15° to 35°.
The shapes of the support elements (14, 15, 16) in the head part of the fastener of the invention as described above as well as the number of the support elements (14, 15, 16) and their positions relative to each other are among the factors to be considered for self-aligning and performing an assembly or a disassembly process at the desired performance while applying torque by the drive apparatus (40).
There are 2 to 6, preferably 2 to 4, more preferably 3 support elements (14, 15, 16) in the head part (11) of the fastener according to the invention.
According to an embodiment of the fastener (10) of the invention, it is shown in
As shown in
In the fastener (10) of the invention, the angles (β1, β2, β3) between the side walls (14b and 15a; 15b and 16a; 16b and 14a) of any two successive support elements may vary depending on the angle (α1, α2, α3) between the longitudinal axes of said support elements and the width (w) of the support elements, but are equal to each other according to the preferred embodiment of the invention (β1=β2=β3) and are 50° to 105°, preferably 60° to 100°, more preferably 70° to 95°. The angles (β1, β2, β3) between the side walls (14b and 15a; 15b and 16a; 16b and 14a) of the two successive support elements facing each other are shown in
It is seen in
In the lightweight fastener (10) of the invention, the shape, features and positions of the support elements (14, 15, 16) and the grooves (17, 18, 19) in the head part are designed to ensure a homogeneous transfer of the torque applied by the drive apparatus (40) during the disassembly and assembly of the said fastener (10) to the workpiece. The drive apparatus applies torque from certain points where it contacts the fastener by engaging externally the fastener whose weight is reduced by using traditional methods including leaving the parts where only the drive apparatus contacts and transmits the torque and removing the other parts in certain proportions in order to make it possible to use a standard drive apparatus. However, the disassembly and assembly of the lightweight fastener (10) according to the invention, which is specifically designed to make it possible to transfer the torque applied to the head part in a homogeneous manner, is carried out by the drive apparatus (40) specially designed for the fastener (10).
The drive apparatus (40), which is compatible with the lightweight fastener (10) in accordance with the invention and provides a homogeneous transfer of the torque applied during the tightening and loosening by contacting the active contact surfaces on the head (11) of the said fastener, is shown in
The protrusions (48, 49, 50) formed in the drive apparatus are shown in
However, when the fastener (10) and the drive apparatus (40) in accordance with the invention are engaged each other, the side walls (14a, 14b, 15a, 15b, 16a, 16b) and the intermediate walls (21, 22, 23) forming the active contact surfaces in the fastener correspond to the side walls (48a, 48b, 49a, 49b, 50a, 50b) on both sides of the protrusions (48, 49, 50) in the drive apparatus and the intermediate walls (51, 52, 53) connecting these side walls. It is seen in
In the drive apparatus (40) in accordance with the invention, the side walls (48a, 48b; 49a, 49b; 50a, 50b) and the intermediate walls (51; 52; 53) in each protrusion as mentioned above form the active contact surfaces of the drive apparatus (40), which is in contact with the fastener (10) and provides effective transfer of the torque required during the disassembly and assembly of the fastener (10). When the fastener (10) and the drive apparatus (40) are engaged in order to perform the tightening and loosening processes, the active contact surfaces in the fastener and the active contact surfaces in the drive apparatus correspond to each other. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the area size of the active contact surfaces in the drive apparatus (40) is at least the area of the active contact surfaces in the fastener (10) or is relatively likely to be larger for the purpose of effectively transferring the torque applied by the drive apparatus to the fastener and performing the tightening or loosening operations as required and properly.
When the fastener (10) and the drive apparatus (40) of the invention are engaged each other, the support elements (14, 15, 16) in the fastener and the slots (44, 45, 46) in the drive apparatus; and the grooves (17, 18, 19) in the fastener and the protrusions (48, 49, 50) in the drive apparatus are engaged to each other. In other words, the upper surface of the support element (14, 15, 16) in the fastener is overlapped with the base of the slots (44, 45, 46) in the drive apparatus; and the base of the grooves (17, 18, 19) in the fastener is overlapped with the upper surface of the protrusions (48, 49, 50) in the drive apparatus. Accordingly, when the fastener (10) and the drive apparatus (40) in accordance with the invention are engaged each other, the longitudinal axis (14′, 15′, 16′) of each support element in the head part of the fastener and the longitudinal axis (44′, 45′, 46′) of the slot in which this support element corresponds and engages are overlapped. The longitudinal axes (44′, 45′, 46′) of the slots in the head of the drive apparatus are defined as the lines extending radially from the center of the head (47) through the center of the slot (44, 45, 46) along the slot. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal axes (α1, α2, α3) of any two successive support elements in the head of the fastener and the angle between the longitudinal axes (α1′, α2′, α3′) of any successive slots in which these support elements correspond and engage when the drive apparatus (40) and the fastener (10) are engaged is equal to each other (α1=α1′; α2=α2′; α3=α3′). According to the invention, the angles between the longitudinal axes of two successive support elements can be equal to each other or different from each other. Similarly, the angles between the longitudinal axes of the slots in the drive apparatus can be equal to each other or different from each other. Accordingly, the angle between the longitudinal axes of any two successive support elements is equal to the angle (α1′, α2′, α3′) between the longitudinal axes of the two successive slots through which the said support elements couple with in the drive apparatus in accordance with the invention, since the slots (44, 45, 46) in the drive apparatus and the support elements (14, 15, 16) in the fastener should engage tightly together in order to effectively transfer the torque applied by the drive apparatus (40) in accordance with the invention to the fastener (10). According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are three support elements in the head part of the fastener and the angles between the longitudinal axes (14′, 15′, 16′) of any successive support element (α1, α2, α3, respectively) and the angles (α1′, α2′, α3′, respectively) between the longitudinal axes (44′, 45′, 46′, respectively) of the corresponding two slots in the drive apparatus are shown in
When the protrusions (48, 49, 50) on the head of the drive apparatus in accordance with the invention are coupled with the grooves (17, 18, 19) on the head of the fastener in accordance with the invention, the side walls on the sides of a groove in the fastener face the side walls of the corresponding protrusion in the drive apparatus (14b and 15a with 48a and 48b; 15b and 16a with 50a and 50b; 14a and 16b with 49a and 49b). The angles between the side walls of the protrusions in the drive apparatus (β1′, β2′, β3′) are shown in
However, as clearly depicted in
The drive apparatus (40) in accordance with the invention is compatible with the fastener (10) described within the scope of the invention and can be used to apply torque in the tightening and loosening of any fastener that can be tightly engaged with the drive apparatus.
The view of the combination of the fastener (10) in accordance with the invention and the drive apparatus (40) in accordance with the invention as described above is given in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2021/005790 | Mar 2021 | TR | national |
This application is the national phase entry of International Application No. PCT/TR2022/050063, filed on Jan. 25, 2022, which is based upon and claims priority to Turkish Patent Application No. 2021/005790, filed on Mar. 31, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/TR2022/050063 | 1/25/2022 | WO |