Fastener element for a fastening system, fastening tool, disengagement and testing of a fastener element, method for providing a fastening system with a closure seal and/or a torque indicator
10100864 ยท 2018-10-16
Inventors
Cpc classification
B25B15/005
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B25B23/15
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
F16B41/005
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
F16B23/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F16B41/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
B25B23/15
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
The instant invention relates to a fastener element of a fastening system, a tool for fastening, disengaging and testing the fastener element and a method for providing a fastening system with a closure seal and/or a torque indication. The fastener element of a fastening system, in particular a bolt or nut includes a tool engagement surface that is engageable by a tool, in particular a standard tool for at least partial form locking contact with the tool for fastening or disengaging the fastening system, wherein the tool engagement surface includes at least one weak spot. The fastener element is operable with standard tools and optionally reusable using special tools. Thus, manipulations by unauthorized persons are easily detectable and it is easily determinable whether a predetermined torque has been applied correctly.
Claims
1. A fastener element of a fastening system, the fastener element comprising: a tool engagement surface that is engageable by a tool for at least partial form locking contact with the tool for fastening or disengaging the fastening system, wherein the tool engagement surface includes at least one weak spot which facilitates a deformation of the weak spot or at least a deformation or weakening of a portion adjacent to the weak spot when a particular torque is imparted from the tool to the tool engagement surface which indicates an unauthorized use or an authorized use with a sufficiently large torque, wherein the tool engagement surface is configured as a straight slot, or cross slot, or external polygon, or internal polygon, or external involute, or internal involute, or Ribe, or Torx, or Tri-Wing, or Torq-Set, or Torx-Tamper or Pentalob, and wherein the tool is a straight slot, or cross slot, or external polygon, or internal polygon, or external involute, or internal involute, or Ribe, or Torx, or Tri-Wing, or Torq-Set, or Torx-Tamper or Pentalob tool.
2. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein the tool engagement surface includes plural portions, and wherein at least one portion or at least half of a number of the plural portions is provided with at least one weak spot.
3. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein the weak spot is arranged at or proximal to a section of a portion where a main force is transferred from the tool to the tool engagement surface when the tool is used correctly.
4. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein the weak spot is symmetrically arranged with respect to a symmetry of the tool engagement surface.
5. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein the weak spot is asymmetrically arranged with reference to a symmetry of the tool engagement surface.
6. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein the weak spot is configured as a material recess or as a material variation.
7. A tool for fastening, disengaging and testing the fastener element according to claim 6, wherein the tool includes a tool operating surface corresponding to the tool engagement surface, and wherein the tool operating surface includes at least one surface section engaging the material recess.
8. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein two different types of weak spots are provided.
9. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein a first type of weak spot is provided which poses a first resistance against the tool operating surface during disengagement or fixation, and wherein the first type of weak spot is configured as a recess into which the tool operating surface penetrates during the disengagement or the fixation.
10. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein a length of the weak spot along the tool engagement surface is equal to or greater than a length of an adjacent portion of the tool engagement surface.
11. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein a second type of weak spot is provided which provides a second resistance for the tool operating surface during disengagement or fixation, wherein the second resistance is advantageously provided by a rated fracture area or a rated deformation area, and wherein the rated fracture area or the rated deformation area is formed by providing the second weak spot by an undercut.
12. The fastener element according to claim 1, wherein at least one parameter from the group consisting of number of weak spots, shape of weak spot, dimension of the weak spot, use of various types of weak spots and dimension of the portion at which the main force is transferred from the tool to the tool engagement surface when the tool is used correctly is adjusted so that a deformation of the weak spot or of a portion adjacent to the weak spot is provided when a torque of a predetermined amount is applied.
13. A method for providing a fastening system with a fastening seal or a torque indication, comprising the steps: providing a fastener element of the fastening system-with a tool engagement surface that is engageable by a tool for at least partial form locking contact with the tool for fastening or disengaging the fastening system; providing the tool engagement surface with at least one weak spot which facilitates a deformation of the weak spot or at least a deformation or weakening of a portion adjacent to the weak spot; imparting a particular torque from the tool to the tool engagement surface; and indicating an unauthorized use or an authorized use with a sufficiently large torque, wherein the tool engagement surface is configured as a straight slot, or cross slot, or external polygon, or internal polygon, or external involute, or internal involute, or Ribe, or Torx, or Tri-Wing, or Torq-Set, or Torx-Tamper or Pentalob, wherein the tool is a straight slot, or cross slot, or external polygon, or internal polygon, or external involute, or internal involute, or Ribe, or Torx, or Tri-Wing, or Torq-Set, or Torx-Tamper or Pentalob tool.
14. The method according to claim 13, comprising the step using a fastener element including: a tool engagement surface that is engageable by a tool for at least partial form locking contact with the tool for fastening or disengaging the fastening system, wherein the tool engagement surface includes at least one weak spot which facilitates a deformation of the weak spot or at least a deformation or weakening of a portion adjacent to the weak spot when a particular torque is imparted from the tool to the tool engagement surface which indicates an unauthorized use or an authorized use with a sufficiently large torque for fastening, disengaging and testing the fastener element.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the weak spot is configured as a material recess or as a material variation, wherein the tool includes a tool operating surface corresponding to the tool engagement surface, and wherein the tool operating surface includes at least one surface section engaging the material recess.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Additional features and advantages of the invention are described based on embodiments with reference to appended drawing figures, wherein identical and equivalent components are designated with identical reference numerals, wherein:
(2)
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23) The dimension of the weak spots formed as material recesses 9 and thus the dimension of the points 11 is thus selected so that the torques that are required for a disengaging or fixating a fastening provided by the screw 1 leads to a deformation or shearing in a portion of the points 11 or the transition between the points 11 and recesses 9 when a hexagonal Allen assembly wrench is used and not an assembly wrench whose tool operating surface provides full surface form locking along the tool engagement surface.
(24) A tool 17 according to the invention that is illustrated in top view in
(25) However, when one of the standard tools 21, 23 illustrated in
(26)
(27) In order to prevent a deformation of this type a form locking special wrench 51 is used for unauthorized use of the drive 33 wherein the special wrench 51 includes corresponding circular segment shaped protrusions 55 corresponding to the material recesses 39 relative to a hexagonal 53 illustrated in
(28) The fastener elements 1, 31 described supra include symmetrically introduced material recesses 9, 39 with respect to the tool engagement surfaces 5, 35. This would create deformations of the drive 5, 35 for each unauthorized use, this means during disengagement and also during fixation of the fastener element 1, 31.
(29) In
(30) Thus, the bolts 61, 63 illustrated in
(31) The bolt 61 includes a semi-circular material recess 85 which is introduced clock wise from a center of the edge 81 towards a corner 89. With reference to the edge length e the material recess 85 has an extension f of approximately 0.25, this means f/e is approximately 0.25 Thus, symmetrical points 91 are configured which are loaded relative to the drive base element 93 in shearing when using the drive 69 counter clock wise with an Allen wrench but which are not deformed when using the drive 69 clock wise with an Allen wrench relative to the drive base element. This is caused by the fact that using the drive counter clock wise presses material of the point 91 into the material recess 85 which rounds the point 91.
(32) The bolt 63 according to
(33) The bolts 65, 67 illustrated in
(34) The bolt 65 includes semi-circular material recesses 105 which are introduced clockwise from a center of the edge 101 moved towards a corner 109. With respect to the edge length g each material recess 105 has an extension h of approximately 0.25, this means h/g is approximately 0.25. Thus, asymmetrically formed points 111 are formed which are loaded relative to the drive base element 113 in shearing 115 when using the drive 73 counter clockwise with a hexagonal (see
(35) When as illustrated in
(36) The bolt 67 according to
(37) Thus, when the standard tool configured as an Allen wrench 117 as illustrated in
(38)
(39)
(40) This particular embodiment with two differently configured types of weak spots 145, 147 is selected when only small tightening torques can be used for smaller fastener elements 140 since there is a risk of damaging the fastener element 140 otherwise. Then material deformation occurs at the point 151 upon unauthorized use. In order for this material deformation to safely occur also for lower tightening torques fewer, namely advantageously two material deformations 147 of the second type and more, namely advantageously four material deformations 145 of the first type are used. Typically certainly also fewer material deformations 147 of the second type can be used depending on which tightening torques are tolerated by the fastener element 140.
(41)
(42) It is evident from
(43)
(44) It is apparent from
(45) It is apparent from
(46) In order to exclusively provide a shearing or deformation of the protrusion 197 and no deformation of the remaining tool engagement surface 189 a length m of the weak spot 183 of the first type on the tool engagement surface 189 is selected exactly as long as a length l of the adjacent portion of the tool engagement surface 189. Thus, a folding of the tool operating surface 193 relative to point 199 is provided during fixation. Thus, the length m can also be selected longer for this purpose.
(47) In this embodiment the first weak spot 183 is configured rounded. Thus, it has a shape so that a shearing or deformation is provided by the tool operating surface 193 in the recess 183 (not illustrated in
(48)
(49) This combination of different weak spots of the second type can also be used for torque seals for example when an inverted configuration of the drive 201 from
(50) As a matter of principle also a combination of warranty seal and torque seal is useful, for example a torque seal according to
(51) An embodiment of this type is illustrated in
(52) It is appreciated that all drawn shear lines are not actual body lines but are only drawn for illustration purposes.
(53) Unless stated differently all features of the instant invention can be combined with each other freely. Also the features described in the figure description unless stated differently can be freely combined with other features of the invention. Thus, device features can also be used as method features and method features can be used as device features.
(54) It has become apparent that the instant invention renders manipulations by unauthorized persons detectable in a very simple and cost effective manner for fastener elements of a fastening system or it can be determined very easily whether a particular predetermined torque was correctly used for fastener elements of a fastening system.
REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS
(55) 1 bolt
(56) 3 drive
(57) 5 tool engagement surface
(58) 7 edges
(59) 9 material recess
(60) a edge length
(61) b extension
(62) 11 points
(63) 13 drive base element
(64) 15 shear off line
(65) 17 tool
(66) 19 tool operating surface
(67) 21, 23 standard tools
(68) 25, 27 tool operating surface
(69) 31 bolt
(70) 33 drive
(71) 35 tool engagement surface
(72) 37 edges
(73) 39 material recess
(74) c edge length
(75) d extension
(76) 41 twin points
(77) 43 drive base element
(78) 45 shear off line
(79) 51 special wrench
(80) 53 hexagonal
(81) 55 protrusions
(82) 61, 63, 65, 67 fastener element
(83) 69, 71, 73, 75 drive
(84) 77, 79 tool engagement surface
(85) 81, 83 edges
(86) 85, 87 material recess
(87) 89 corner
(88) e edge length
(89) f extension
(90) 91 point
(91) 93 drive base element
(92) 95 shear off line
(93) 97, 99 tool engagement surface
(94) 101, 103 edge
(95) 105, 107 material recess
(96) 109 corner
(97) g edge length
(98) h extension
(99) 111 point
(100) 113 drive base element
(101) 115 shear off line
(102) 117 Allen wrench
(103) 119 tool operating surface
(104) 121 portion
(105) 123 point
(106) 125 portion
(107) 131 fastener element
(108) 133 drive
(109) 135 weak spot
(110) 137 filling material
(111) 140 fastener element
(112) 141 drive
(113) 143 edge
(114) 145 material recess
(115) 147 material recess
(116) 149 corner
(117) 151 point
(118) 160 bolt
(119) 161 Torx drive
(120) 163, 165 weak spot
(121) 167 protrusion
(122) 169 tool operating surface
(123) F fixation direction
(124) 169a main force transferring sections of tool operating surface 169
(125) L disengagement direction
(126) 169b main force transferring section of tool operating surface 169
(127) 171 Torx tool engagement surface
(128) 173 surface of protrusion 167
(129) 175 tool
(130) 180 bolt
(131) 181 internal hexagon drive
(132) 183, 185 weak spots, recesses
(133) 187 corner of inner hexagonal tool engagement surface 189
(134) 187a corner of inner hexagonal tool engagement surface 189
(135) 189 inner hexagon tool engagement surface
(136) k distance
(137) L disengagement direction
(138) 191 main force transferring portions of the tool operating surface 193
(139) 191a main force transmitting portion of the tool operating surface 193
(140) 193 tool operating surface
(141) 195 portions of the tool engagement surface 189
(142) F fixation direction
(143) 197 protrusion
(144) l length of weak spot 183
(145) m length of adjacent portion of tool operating surface 189
(146) 199 point
(147) 200 bolt
(148) 201 drive
(149) 203, 205, 207 weak spots
(150) 209, 209a protrusions
(151) r, s lengths
(152) 220 bolt
(153) 221 drive
(154) 223a, 223b weak spots, recesses
(155) 225a, 225b weak spots, recesses
(156) 227a, 227b protrusions
(157) 229 tool
(158) 231 tool operating surface
(159) S mirror plane