WO2024023547A1 - Système et procédé de surveillance d'allongement d'élément de fixation et de force de préhension - Google Patents

Système et procédé de surveillance d'allongement d'élément de fixation et de force de préhension Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024023547A1
WO2024023547A1 PCT/IB2022/056858 IB2022056858W WO2024023547A1 WO 2024023547 A1 WO2024023547 A1 WO 2024023547A1 IB 2022056858 W IB2022056858 W IB 2022056858W WO 2024023547 A1 WO2024023547 A1 WO 2024023547A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
contact
threaded fastener
clamping force
step washer
compression ring
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2022/056858
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
John Carlos SOUSA
Markus Jaan HESS
Original Assignee
Loose Wheel Sensors Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Loose Wheel Sensors Inc. filed Critical Loose Wheel Sensors Inc.
Priority to PCT/IB2022/056858 priority Critical patent/WO2024023547A1/fr
Publication of WO2024023547A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024023547A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01L—MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE
    • G01L5/00—Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes
    • G01L5/24—Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for determining value of torque or twisting moment for tightening a nut or other member which is similarly stressed
    • G01L5/243—Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for determining value of torque or twisting moment for tightening a nut or other member which is similarly stressed using washers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B3/00—Disc wheels, i.e. wheels with load-supporting disc body
    • B60B3/14—Attaching disc body to hub ; Wheel adapters
    • B60B3/16—Attaching disc body to hub ; Wheel adapters by bolts or the like
    • B60B3/165—Attaching disc body to hub ; Wheel adapters by bolts or the like with locking devices for the fixing means, e.g. screw or nut covers

Definitions

  • This disclosure pertains to monitoring of threaded fasteners and more particularly it relates to a clamping force monitoring device.
  • Vehicle wheel rims are commonly mounted to a hub by lug nuts fastened down on an equal number of wheel studs. Failure of wheel studs may occur when lug nuts come loose or if the material of the wheel and vehicle components gripped by the wheel studs and lug nuts diminish and disintegrate. Runaway truck wheels occur at an alarmingly high rate and unfortunately can and have resulted in fatal incidents. It is estimated that the number of runaways is over 50,000 per year. This is an issue that is exacerbated by several points:
  • Dual rims have an inherent issue that the metal where rims are in contact with each other will wear, thus reducing the material being gripped, so that the clamp force reduces and nuts are loose without turning.
  • a properly torqued stud is elongated by a very small amount. Full torque elastically stretches a bolt in the range of five thousands (0.0056”) of an inch. Consistently and economically ensuring that the millions of studs on the road are stretched to the proper amount is hardly viable.
  • a clamping force monitoring device having a step washer with an outer face, an inner face and a contact protrusion protruding to a depth from the inner face; a contact device for making contact with the step washer, the contact device having a compression ring molded from a compressible plastic material, abuting the inner face of the step washer and extending to at least the contact protrusion of the step washer, the compression ring having a thickness greater than the protrusion depth when not compressed, and a contact plate embedded in the compression ring and isolated electrically on all sides by the compression ring excluding a contact surface for contacting the step washer protrusion, wherein the compression ring separates the step washer and the contact plate when not compressed.
  • the device further includes a threaded fastener for extending through the step washer and the contact device, a nut for engaging with the threaded fastener, and an electric circuit for sensing a contact condition between the contact plate and the step washer, wherein when a sufficient axial force is exerted in the threaded fastener by engagement of the nut, the compression ring is compressed to a thickness equal to the depth of the protrusion and the step washer is in contact with the contact plate, thereby closing the electric circuit
  • a method for monitoring a clamping force on a threaded fastener comprising extending a threaded fastener through a step washer and a contact device and engaging the threaded fastener with a nut; wherein the contact device comprises a compression ring and a contact plate embedded in the compression ring; and further wherein when a sufficient axial force is applied to the threaded fastener by the nut, the compression ring compression washer is compressed to a thickness equal to the depth of a protrusion in the step washer and the protrusion in the step washer contacts the contact plate, thereby closing an electric circuit, and further wherein when an axial force less than the sufficient axial force is applied to the threaded fastener by the nut, the compression ring is not compressed to a thickness equal to the depth of the protrusion in the step washer and the protrusion in the step washer is not in contact with the contact plate, thereby opening the electric circuit.
  • FIG, 1 is a perspective view of a contact device in an embodiment of a clamping force monitoring system.
  • FIG, 2 is a perspective view of the contact device of FIG. 1 and a step washer of a further embodiment of the clamping force monitoring system.
  • FIG, 3 is a cross-section of the embodiment of the clamping force moni toring system illustrated in FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the embodiment of the clamping force monitoring system illustrated in FIG. 3 shown with a threaded fastener.
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the clamping force monitoring system.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the clamping force monitoring system.
  • a clamping force monitoring system is illustrated as a wheel stud monitoring system by way of example. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosure provided may be used to monitor clamping force in other threaded fastener systems.
  • a contact device 135 includes a compression ring 150 and a contact plate 140.
  • a step washer 100 has an outer face 110, an inner face 120 (not visible) and a contact protrusion 130 protruding to a depth 125 from the inner face.
  • the contact protrusion 130 may extend from the inner face 120 of the step washer 100 around the inner periphery of the step washer, it may protrude around the outer periphery of the step washer, or it may protrude from an intermediate position as depicted in FIG. 1.
  • the contact plate 140 faces the step washer inner face 120.
  • the compression ring 150 extends between the step washer 100 and the contact plate 140, and abuts the step washer inner face 120 When not compressed, the compression ring 150 is thicker than the depth 125 of the inner face 120 from the contact protrusion 130. Thus the compression ring 150 separates the contact protrusion 130 and the contact plate 140. If the compression ring 150 is compressed until its thickness equals the depth 125 of the contact protrusion 130, then the contact protrusion 130 and the contact plate 140 come into contact.
  • the compression ring 150 may be made from a hard plastic, such as polyketone.
  • FIG. 3 The embodiment is further illustrated by a cross-section in FIG. 3.
  • the compression ring 150 of the contact device 135 is not compressed and thus a gap 310 exi sts between the contact plate 140 of the compression device 135 and the contact protrusion 130 of the step washer 100.
  • the embodiment is further illustrated by a cross-section in FIG. 4.
  • the step washer 100 and compression ring 150 are assembled on the wheel stud 160.
  • the wheel stud 160 does not have a clamping force exerted as it is not secured by a nut 170, thus the compression ring 150, is not compressed. Consequently, the thickness of the compression ring 150 is greater than the depth 125 of the contact protrusion 130 and so there is a gap 310 between the contact protrusion and the contact plate 140. In this state the electric circuit is open.
  • the gap 310 is controlled by the thickness and physical characteristics of the compression ring 150, so that the gap closes when a sufficient axial force is applied to the threaded fastener 160.
  • a compression ring 150 may be compressed under every second nut 170 on a wheel hub by an amount that represents 25,000 lbs of axial force in the wheel stud 160. When this amount of compression is attained, contact is made between the contact plate 140 and the contact protrusion 130 that completes an electric circuit through electric contact connections. If a reduction in the compression occurs by a loosening nut 170, the circuit is broken, and a signal is sent to a vehicle operator and/or dispatch to indicate that a fastener is below a clamping force of 25,000 lbs. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the thickness of the compression ring 150 is greater than the depth 125 of the contact protrusion 130, leaving a controlled gap 310.
  • the thickness of the compression ring 150 is equal to the depth of the contact protrusion 130 and the contact protrusion 130 bottoms out on the contact plate 140 thereby closing a circuit.
  • the nut 170 can be further tightened, and the compression ring 150 will see no further deformation. In this way, 60,000 lb can be applied to the stud while the compression ring sees only 25000 lbs. If the nut 170 loosens to the point where contact is broken, a signal will be sent while just under 25000 lbs is still applied by the compression ring 150 to hold the wheel rim in place.
  • an embodiment of the clamping force monitoring device may include a hub ring 610 to overlay a wheel hub, with slots 620 aligning with each wheel stud.
  • a contact plate 140, compression ring 150 and step washer 100 are fitted over alternating slots 620 allowing the wheel stud 160 to extend through.
  • An electric circuit is closed when sufficient axial force is exerted in the threaded fastener (wheel stud) 160 by engagement of the nut 170. When there is not sufficient force, the electric circuit is open and transmits a signal.
  • the signal may be transmitted, for example by a battery-operated radio-frequency transmitter circuit.
  • the signal may be transmitted to a remote receiver, such as a signaling device that is visible to a road vehicle operator while the road vehicle is in operation.
  • a wire leads from the contact plate 140 and/or step washer 100 (not visible) to a PC board 630.
  • the PC board 630 is mounted to the wheel hub on the ring 610. Contact between the contact plate 140 and the contact protrusion 130 (not visible) closes an electric circuit and sends an electrical signal to the PC board 630.
  • the PC board 630 transmits a signal to the vehicle's warning system to inform the vehicle's operator of a loose nut 170.
  • the PC board 630 may communicate by radiofrequency with a signal light or beacon, for example having an LED light, mounted within view of the vehicle operator, for example on the side of a truck trailer.
  • the beacon communication to the vehicle operator occurs while the vehicle is in motion, so the vehicle does not have to be stopped to inspect the wheel stud condition.
  • the PC board 630 is preferably powered by a batery.
  • the PC board 630 is grounded through an attachment to the wheel hub, for example by a bracket or with a ring connector under the head of one of the studs connected by wire to the PC board (not shown).
  • the PC board 630 also has a transmitter to transmit, by radio signal or otherwise, the conditions of the contact plate 140 and the contact protrusion 120.
  • the clamping force monitoring device may be a hydraulic ram or a pipe securing system, or any other system where a force is applied to an outer face of the step washer 100, thereby- compressing the compression ring 150 and sufficient force is thereby monitored.
  • a clamping force monitoring device is provided where a threaded fastener 160 is extended through a step washer 100 and a compression ring 150 and engaged with a nut 170, causing an axial force to be applied to the threaded fastener and leading to compression of the compression ring.
  • the compression ring 150 is compressed by sufficient axial force, the contact protrusion 130 of the step washer 100 comes into contact with a contact plate 140 and closes an electric circuit.
  • the compression ring 150 is not compressed and is thicker than the depth of the contact protrusion 130 in the step washer 100.
  • the open electric circuit leads to a signal transmission, for example a light signal provided to a vehicle operator, alerting the operator that a wheel stud is not sufficiently tightened.
  • the signal may be transmitted when the axial force on the wheel stud is less than 25,000 lb.
  • the complete device can only be 3/8 to 7/16 inches thick (depending on Rim material thicknesses)
  • the present disclosure provides the ability to apply a monitoring force in the tens of thousands of lbs in a very limited space.
  • the device may apply a maintaining force of 25,000 lb within a 3/8 of an inch space while monitoring movement of a few thousands of an inch.
  • An advantage of the embodiment provided is that when the axial force is below the sufficient level, for example 25,000 lb for a wheel stud, and a signal is transmitted to the vehicle operator, the wheel stud is still secure due to the expansion of the compression ring 150. Thus a safety margin is provided by the expansion of the compression ring 150.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Emergency Alarm Devices (AREA)

Abstract

Un dispositif de surveillance de force de serrage comprend une rondelle étagée, un dispositif de contact avec une plaque de contact et un anneau de compression séparant la rondelle étagée et la plaque de contact, un élément de fixation fileté s'étendant à travers la rondelle étagée et le dispositif de contact, un écrou et un circuit électrique. L'invention concerne un procédé de surveillance d'une force de serrage comprenant l'extension d'un élément de fixation fileté à travers une rondelle étagée et un dispositif de contact avec une plaque de contact et un anneau de compression, et la mise en prise de l'élément de fixation fileté avec un écrou, l'anneau de compression étant comprimé et la rondelle étagée entrant en contact avec une plaque de contact, lorsqu'une force axiale suffisante est appliquée à l'élément de fixation fileté par l'écrou, fermant ainsi un circuit électrique.
PCT/IB2022/056858 2022-07-26 2022-07-26 Système et procédé de surveillance d'allongement d'élément de fixation et de force de préhension WO2024023547A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/IB2022/056858 WO2024023547A1 (fr) 2022-07-26 2022-07-26 Système et procédé de surveillance d'allongement d'élément de fixation et de force de préhension

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/IB2022/056858 WO2024023547A1 (fr) 2022-07-26 2022-07-26 Système et procédé de surveillance d'allongement d'élément de fixation et de force de préhension

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WO2024023547A1 true WO2024023547A1 (fr) 2024-02-01

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2801422A2 (fr) * 2013-05-06 2014-11-12 Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG Détecteur de pression selectif par rapport à l'élément de fixation pour un appareil de pose destiné à poser l'élément de fixation
US20170131165A1 (en) * 2015-11-09 2017-05-11 Airbus Operations (S.A.S.) Method and device for monitoring the clamping of an assembly by a threaded fastener
CA3089416A1 (fr) * 2019-08-07 2021-02-07 Markus J. Hess Contact par compression pour surveiller l`allongement et la force de prehension d`un element de fixation

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2801422A2 (fr) * 2013-05-06 2014-11-12 Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG Détecteur de pression selectif par rapport à l'élément de fixation pour un appareil de pose destiné à poser l'élément de fixation
US20170131165A1 (en) * 2015-11-09 2017-05-11 Airbus Operations (S.A.S.) Method and device for monitoring the clamping of an assembly by a threaded fastener
CA3089416A1 (fr) * 2019-08-07 2021-02-07 Markus J. Hess Contact par compression pour surveiller l`allongement et la force de prehension d`un element de fixation

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