Assembly system utilising a conical, elastic locking element
AssigneeNivarox-FAR S.A.
InventorsMarc Stranczl, Daniel Mallet, Marco Verardo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly system includes a member made of a first material including a staff and a shoulder, the staff of the member being received in an aperture of a part made of a second material having little or no plastic domain. The assembly system includes a locking element made of a third material arranged to elastically attach the part between the shoulder of the member and the locking element, and the locking element is a conical washer including an internal wall which radially grips the staff of the member. A peripheral portion of the locking element exerts an elastic radial force vertical to the shoulder of the member in order to secure assembly of the member, the part, and the locking element.
Claims27
An assembly system comprising:
- a member made of at least a first material including a staff and a shoulder, the staff of the member being received in an aperture of a part made of a silicon-based material, wherein
- the assembly system includes a locking element made of a metal or a metal alloy arranged to elastically attach the part made of the silicon-based material between the shoulder of the member and the locking element, and wherein
- the locking element is a washer having an internal wall including a substantially straight portion over part of a height of the locking element which radially grips the staff of the member, the internal wall including, adjacent to the substantially straight portion, a portion which flares conically towards the part made of the silicon-based material so that only a peripheral portion of the locking element exerts an axial elastic force vertical to the shoulder of the member so as to secure assembly of the member, the part made of the silicon-based material, and the locking element.
A method of manufacturing an assembly system comprising:
- forming a member made of at least a first material including a staff and a shoulder, a part made of a silicon-based material with an aperture, and a locking element in the form of a washer based on a metal or a metal alloy, the locking element including a hole which is smaller than the staff of the member and whose internal wall has a substantially straight portion over part of a height of the locking element and a portion which flares conically away from the substantially straight portion;
- passing the staff of the member freely into the aperture of the part made of the silicon-based material;
- placing the staff against the hole in the locking element, the flared portion facing the part made of the silicon-based material, and forcibly sliding the locking element against the staff by applying a force using a tool to elastically deform the locking element in the substantially straight portion of the internal wall thereof so that a peripheral portion of the locking element is the closest to the part;
- and
- stopping, then removing the tool when a predefined force less than a yield strength of the metal or the metal alloy of the locking element is reached between the tool and the shoulder of the member such that only the peripheral portion of the locking element exerts an axial elastic force vertical to the shoulder of the member so as to secure assembly of the member, the part made of the silicon-based material, and the locking element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.