SPRING DEVICE FOR SECURING A THREADED FASTENER OF A BOLTED JOINT AND A SYSTEM FOR SECURING A BOLTED JOINT

Abstract

A spring device for securing a threaded fastener of a bolted joint. The spring device includes at least one ring-shaped portion and a plurality of elongate spring elements. Each spring element is attached at least in a first end to the at least one ring-shaped portion. The at least one ring-shaped portion and a body formed by the plurality of spring elements have a common centre axis. Each spring element includes an inner peripheral surface directed towards the centre axis, and wherein a first portion of said inner peripheral surface is closer to the centre axis than are other portions of said inner peripheral surface and closer to the centre axis than an inner peripheral surface of the at least one ring-shaped portion. The disclosure further relates to a system for securing a bolted joint.

Claims

1. A spring device for securing a threaded fastener of a bolted joint, the spring device comprising: at least one ring-shaped portion and a plurality of elongate spring elements, wherein each spring element is attached at least in a first end to the at least one ring-shaped portion, wherein the at least one ring-shaped portion and a body formed by the plurality of spring elements have a common centre axis, wherein each spring element comprises an inner peripheral surface directed towards the centre axis, and wherein a first portion of said inner peripheral surface is closer to the centre axis than are other portions of said inner peripheral surface and closer to the centre axis than an inner peripheral surface of the at least one ring-shaped portion.

2. The spring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ring-shaped portion comprises a ring-shaped first portion and a ring-shaped second portion which is in alignment with the ring-shaped first portion and wherein the ring-shaped first portion and the ring-shaped second portion have a common centre axis, and wherein each of the spring elements is connected in a first end to the ring-shaped first portion and in an opposite second end to the ring-shaped second portion.

3. The spring device according to claim 2, wherein the ring-shaped first portion forms a first end portion of the spring device, and the ring-shaped second portion forms a second end portion of the spring device.

4. The spring device according to claim 2, wherein said first portion of the inner peripheral surface of the spring element is a central portion of the spring element in the direction of the centre axis, and wherein said other portions are respective neighboring portions on each opposite side of the first portion, wherein said other portions extend from the first portion to the ring-shaped first portion and the ring-shaped second portion respectively.

5. The spring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ring-shaped portion comprises a slit extending through said portion.

6. The spring device according to claim 2, wherein each of the ring-shaped first portion and the ring shaped second portion comprises a slit extending though said portion.

7. The spring device according to claim 1, wherein each spring element is able to deform elastically from an unloaded state in which said first portion of the inner peripheral surface is closer to the centre axis than are the other portions of the inner peripheral surface to a deformed state in which said first portion of the inner peripheral surface is in alignment with said the other portions of the inner peripheral surface.

8. The spring device according to claim 1, wherein the spring device comprises a first material defining a core of each spring element and a layer of a second material applied on said first portion of the inner peripheral surface of the spring element, wherein the first material has a higher spring constant than the second material and the second material has a higher friction coefficient than the first material.

9. The spring device according to claim 1, wherein an outer radius of the at least one ring-shaped portion defines the maximum outer radius of the spring device.

10. The spring device according to claim 2, wherein an outer radius of the ring-shaped first portion and an outer radius of the ring-shaped second portion are equal and define the maximum outer radius of the spring device.

11. A system for securing a bolted joint, wherein the system comprises: a spring device comprising at least one ring-shaped portion and a plurality of elongate spring elements, wherein each spring element is attached at least in a first end to the at least one ring-shaped portion, wherein the at least one ring-shaped portion and a body formed by the plurality of spring elements have a common centre axis, wherein each spring element comprises an inner peripheral surface directed towards the centre axis, and wherein a first portion of said inner peripheral surface is closer to the centre axis than are other portions of said inner peripheral surface and closer to the centre axis than an inner peripheral surface of the at least one ring-shaped portion; a threaded fastener; and a fastener arrangement comprising a hole arranged to receive the spring device and a head of the threaded fastener, wherein the head of the threaded fastener has a radius which, in an unloaded state of the spring device, is larger than the distance from the first portion of the inner peripheral surface of each spring element to the centre axis of the spring device and an outer radius of the at least one ring-shaped portion of the spring device corresponds to an inner radius of said hole and a centre axis of said hole is in alignment with the centre axis of the spring device when the spring device is received in the hole.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the fastener arrangement comprises a sleeve defining said hole.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one ring-shaped portion of the spring device comprises a slit extending through it, and the fastener arrangement comprises a projection at an inlet to said hole, said projection having a distance to the centre axis of the hole which is less than the outer radius of the at least one ring-shaped portion of the spring device when the latter is in a non-compressed state in which the slit is open, and which distance is larger than the outer radius of the at least one ring-shaped portion of the spring device when the latter is in a compressed state in which the slit is closed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The above objects, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the spring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 2a shows a perspective side view of the system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 2b shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 2c shows a perspective exploded view of the system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred example embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in other forms and should not be construed as limited to the herein disclosed embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are provided to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to the skilled person.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the spring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] The first aspect of this disclosure shows a spring device 100 for securing a threaded fastener of a bolted joint (not shown). The spring device 100 comprises a ring-shaped first end portion 102, a ring-shaped second end portion 104, and a plurality of elongate spring elements 106. Each spring element 106 is attached in a first end 102a to the first end portion 102 and in an opposite second end 104a to the second end portion 104a. The first end portion 102 and the second end portion 104 are in alignment and have a common centre axis. Each spring element 106 comprises an inner peripheral surface 108 directed towards the centre axis, and wherein a first portion 108a of the inner peripheral surface 108 is closer to the centre axis than the other portions 108b of the inner peripheral surface 108. The first portion 108a of the inner peripheral surface 108 is also closer to the centre axis than the inner peripheral surface of the first end portion 102 as well as the inner peripheral surface of the second end portion 104.

[0036] The first portion 108a of the inner peripheral surface of the spring element 106 is a central portion of the spring element 106 in the direction of the centre axis, and wherein said other portions are a respective neighboring portions on each opposite side of the first portion 108a, wherein said other portions extend from the first portion 108a to the ring-shaped first portion 102 and the ring-shaped second portion 104 respectively.

[0037] Each of the ring-shaped first portion 102 and the ring shaped second portion 104 comprises a slit 110 extending though said portion. The slit enables the spring device 100 to be temporarily compressed to a smaller diameter.

[0038] The spring device 100 comprises a first material defining a core of each spring element 106 and a layer of a second material applied on said first portion 108a of the inner peripheral surface of the spring element 106, wherein the first material has a higher spring constant than the second material and the second material has a higher friction coefficient than the first material.

[0039] An outer radius of the ring-shaped first portion 102 and an outer radius of the ring-shaped second portion 104 are equal and define the maximum outer radius of the spring device 100.

[0040] FIGS. 2a-2b show perspective views of the system 200 for securing a bolted joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 2a shows a perspective view of the system 200 for securing a bolted joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 2b shows a perspective cross-sectional of the same system 200 as shown in FIG. 2a.

[0043] The second aspect of this disclosure shows a system 200 for securing a bolted joint. The system 200 comprises a spring device 100 according to the first aspect, a threaded fastener 202, and a fastener arrangement 204 comprising a hole 206 (shown in FIG. 2c) arranged to receive the spring device 100 and a head 202a of the threaded fastener 202. The head 202a of the threaded fastener 202 has a radius which is larger than the distance from the first portion 108a of the inner peripheral surface 108 of each spring element 106 to the centre axis of the spring device 100. An outer radius of the at least one ring-shaped portion 102, 104 of the spring device 100 corresponds to an inner radius of the hole 206 and a centre axis of the hole 106 is in alignment with the centre axis of the spring device 100 when the spring device 100 is received in the hole.

[0044] The fastener arrangement 204 comprises a sleeve defining said hole 206. The at least one ring-shaped portion 102, 104 of the spring device 100 comprises a slit 110 extending through it, and the fastener arrangement comprises a projection 112 at an inlet to said hole, said projection 112 having a distance to the centre axis of the hole which is less than the outer radius of the at least one ring-shaped portion 102, 104 of the spring device 100 when the latter is in a non-compressed state in which the slit 110 is open. The distance is larger than the outer radius of the at least one ring-shaped portion 102, 104 of the spring device 100 when the latter is in a compressed state in which the slit 110 is closed.