# US 2014/0196289 A1 · Method And System For Identifying Fastener Placement Zones > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196289 A1 - Document ID: US20140196289A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/741,766 - Filed: 2013-01-15 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Paul Hollingshead; Michael Kent; Daniel Michael Quick - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196289A1 ## CPC - G06F 30/17: Mechanical parametric or variational design - B64F 5/10: Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor - G06F 2119/18: Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability - G06T 19/00: Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics - Y10T 29/49616: Structural member making - Y10T 29/49622: Vehicular structural member making - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Certain embodiments of the disclosure provide one or more methods and/or systems to provide for determination of valid fastener zones that meet certain design rules. A method may include selecting at least one fastener having a preselected size and providing a first structural member and second structural member each having preselected sizes and shapes. The method may include determining a first fastener placement zone in said first structural member and determining a second fastener placement zone in said second structural member, where the respective first and second fastener placement zones are determined as a function of said structural design rules. The method may include determining a final fastener zone by identifying an overlap of the first and second fastener zones. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for establishing preferred fastener placement zones in a mechanical assembly, said method comprising the steps of: selecting at least one fastener having a preselected size and having an upright central axis; providing a first structural member and second structural member each having preselected sizes and shapes; providing predetermined structural design rules for joining said first structural member and said second structural member with said at least one fastener; determining a first fastener placement zone in said first structural member and determining a second fastener placement zone in said second structural member, wherein the respective first and second fastener placement zones are determined as a function of said structural design rules; and determining a final fastener zone by electronically identifying an overlap of the first and second fastener zones when the first and second structural members are arranged to be joined in a mechanical assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one fastener, said first structural member and said second structural member are components of an aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of joining said first structural member and said second structural member using multiple fasteners, each having a preselected size and an upright central axis, wherein all of said upright central axes are located within said first and second fastener placement zones. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 including the steps of: providing one or more additional structural members each having preselected sizes and shapes; and determining, for each additional structural member, a fastener placement zone, wherein the fastener placement zones of the additional structural members are determined as a function of said structural design rules, wherein the step of determining the final fastener zone includes electronically identifying an overlap of the fastener placement zones of the additional structural members with the first and second fastener zones. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein said structural design rules include rules about distances of fasteners from edges of structural members and rules about distances of said fasteners from fillets in structural members. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first structural member includes a planar or curved portion having a first side and a second side, each of said sides having a one-sided fastener placement zone, the overlapping areas of the one-sided fastener placement zones defining the first fastener placement zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein a first fastener of said at least one fastener is coupled with a platenut, the platenut having: a longitudinal axis that runs perpendicular to the central axis of the first fastener; a central opening for receiving the first fastener; and opposed flanges being spaced along said longitudinal axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of: locating a corner portion in said final fastener zone, the corner portion having an angled shape; and determining a modified final fastener zone where the corner portion is rounded, wherein when the central axis of the first fastener is located substantially within the modified final fastener zone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein said step of determining a modified final fastener zone includes the step of determining a curvature of the rounded corner portion such that the longitudinal axis of the platenut is at a tangent to the curvature. ### Claim 10 A method executed on a data processing system having at least one processor, the method comprising: loading an assembly model, the assembly model defining a first part and a second part, wherein the first and second parts are placed and oriented such that a first attachment surface of the first part is positioned to be substantially equidistant to a second attachment surface of the second part; selecting a fastener type having a size attribute; specifying fastener placement rules defining geometric constraints on fastener placement locations for the first and second parts, and establishing respective first and second fastener zones on the respective first and second attachment surfaces of the respective first and second parts as a function of the size attribute and the fastener placement rules; and comparing the first and second fastener zones to define an assembly fastener zone that indicates where fasteners of the fastener type may be placed to join the first and second parts into the assembly model, wherein, the assembly fastener zone is defined by at least one overlapping portion of the respective first and second fastener zones when positioned in an equidistant configuration, and as compared from a perspective normal to the first and second fastener zones. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the fastener placement rules include rules about distances of fasteners of particular sizes from edges of structural members of a model and rules about distances of fasteners of particular sizes from fillets in structural members of a model. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: loading a first fastener model related to the fastener type; and receiving placement input from a user to place the first fastener model in the assembly model, where placing the first fastener model includes specifying a location and orientation of the first fastener model relative to the assembly model. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing the placement of the first fastener model to the assembly fastener zone to determine whether placement of first fastener model is acceptable, placement of the first fastener model being acceptable if a central axis associated with the first fastener model extends only through the assembly fastener zone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: loading a first fastener model related to the fastener type; and automatically placing the first fastener model in the assembly model, where placing the first fastener model includes determining a location and orientation of the first fastener model relative to the assembly model such that a central axis associated with the first fastener model extends only through the assembly fastener zone. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving input that indicates that a platenut will be used with the first fastener model; and modifying the assembly fastener zone to round one or more corner portions of the assembly fastener zone such that the first fastener and the platenut can be placed in the assembly model without violating any fastener placement rules. ### Claim 16 A system, comprising: one or more memory units that store multiple virtual models; a virtual model designer coupled to the one or more memory units, wherein the virtual model designer is configured to load an assembly model, the assembly model defining a first part and a second part, wherein the first and second parts are placed and oriented such that a first attachment surface of the first part is positioned to be substantially equidistant to a second attachment surface of the second part, and wherein the virtual model designer is further configured to select a fastener type having a size attribute, and wherein the virtual model designer is further configured to specify fastener placement rules defining geometric constraints on fastener placement locations for the first and second parts; and a valid fastener zone indicator coupled to the virtual model designer, wherein the valid fastener zone indicator is configured to establish respective first and second fastener zones on the respective first and second attachment surfaces of the respective first and second parts as a function of the size attribute and the fastener placement rules, and wherein the valid fastener zone indicator is further configured to compare the first and second fastener zones to define an assembly fastener zone that indicates where fasteners of the fastener type may be placed to join the first and second parts into the assembly model, wherein, the assembly fastener zone is defined by at least one overlapping portion of the respective first and second fastener zones when positioned in an equidistant configuration, and as compared from a perspective normal to the first and second fastener zones. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the fastener placement rules include rules about distances of fasteners of particular sizes from edges of structural members of a model and rules about distances of fasteners of particular sizes from fillets in structural members of a model. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the virtual model designer is further configured to: load a first fastener model related to the fastener type; and receive placement input from a user to place the first fastener model in the assembly model, where placing the first fastener model includes specifying a location and orientation of the first fastener model relative to the assembly model. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the virtual model designer is further configured to compare the placement of the first fastener model to the assembly fastener zone to determine whether placement of first fastener model is acceptable, placement of the first fastener model being acceptable if a central axis associated with the first fastener model extends only through the assembly fastener zone. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the virtual model designer is further configured to: load a first fastener model related to the fastener type; and automatically place the first fastener model in the assembly model, where placing the first fastener model includes determining a location and orientation of the first fastener model relative to the assembly model such that a central axis associated with the first fastener model extends only through the assembly fastener zone. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the virtual model designer is further configured to: receive input that indicates that a platenut will be used with the first fastener model; and modify the assembly fastener zone to round one or more corner portions of the assembly fastener zone such that the first fastener and the platenut can be placed in the assembly model without violating any fastener placement rules.