Ball-lock fastening device
First Claim
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1. A fastener system comprising:
- a cylindrical piston slidably mounted to a first structure, where the piston is fully retractable into the first structure and deployable outward a fixed distance from the first structure, and the piston includes an axial bore opening to a plurality of radial cross-bores proximal a top end of the piston;
a plurality of locking pills having inner and outer ends, each of a respective one of said locking pills slidably disposed in a corresponding respective one of the cross-bores of the piston, where the locking pills are configured to travel from a first position in which the pills are situated radially inward and entirely within the piston to a second position where the pills are deployed radially outward where the outer ends extend beyond an outer surface of the piston; and
a retainer cavity mounted on a lower surface of a second structure such that an opening of the cavity faces toward the first structure to receive the piston, where the retainer cavity includes an undercut surface on an inner lip,where the fastener system latches the second structure to the first structure via a latching sequence including placing the second structure adjacent the first structure, deploying the piston outward from the first structure in a substantially linear-only sliding motion of the piston into the retainer cavity in the second structure, deploying the locking pills radially outward to the second position, and mechanically restraining the locking pills in the second position such that the locking pills cannot retract to the first position and the locking pills contact the undercut surface of the retainer cavity to latch the second structure to the first structure,wherein a spindle is provided in the axial bore of the piston, where the spindle is axially slidable to a locking position in which a larger diameter portion of the spindle contacts the inner end of the locking pills and mechanically forces the locking pills to deploy radially outward to the second position, and the spindle is slidable to an unlocking position in which a smaller diameter portion of the spindle is aligned with the cross-bores of the piston and the locking pills are thereby free to retract radially inward to the first position before the inner ends of the locking pills contact the spindle.
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Abstract
A ball-lock type fastening device for connecting a work piece to a structure is disclosed. The fastening device includes a number of features designed to improve the reliability, repeatability and strength of the locking mechanism compared to traditional ball-lock fasteners. The features include the shape of the locking balls, the shape of the retention housing which engages the locking balls, and mechanisms for controlling deployment and retraction of the locking balls.
42 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A fastener system comprising:
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a cylindrical piston slidably mounted to a first structure, where the piston is fully retractable into the first structure and deployable outward a fixed distance from the first structure, and the piston includes an axial bore opening to a plurality of radial cross-bores proximal a top end of the piston; a plurality of locking pills having inner and outer ends, each of a respective one of said locking pills slidably disposed in a corresponding respective one of the cross-bores of the piston, where the locking pills are configured to travel from a first position in which the pills are situated radially inward and entirely within the piston to a second position where the pills are deployed radially outward where the outer ends extend beyond an outer surface of the piston; and a retainer cavity mounted on a lower surface of a second structure such that an opening of the cavity faces toward the first structure to receive the piston, where the retainer cavity includes an undercut surface on an inner lip, where the fastener system latches the second structure to the first structure via a latching sequence including placing the second structure adjacent the first structure, deploying the piston outward from the first structure in a substantially linear-only sliding motion of the piston into the retainer cavity in the second structure, deploying the locking pills radially outward to the second position, and mechanically restraining the locking pills in the second position such that the locking pills cannot retract to the first position and the locking pills contact the undercut surface of the retainer cavity to latch the second structure to the first structure, wherein a spindle is provided in the axial bore of the piston, where the spindle is axially slidable to a locking position in which a larger diameter portion of the spindle contacts the inner end of the locking pills and mechanically forces the locking pills to deploy radially outward to the second position, and the spindle is slidable to an unlocking position in which a smaller diameter portion of the spindle is aligned with the cross-bores of the piston and the locking pills are thereby free to retract radially inward to the first position before the inner ends of the locking pills contact the spindle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A fastener system comprising:
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a cylindrical piston slidably mounted to a first structure, where the piston is fully retractable into the first structure and deployable outward a fixed distance from the first structure, and the piston includes an axial bore opening to a plurality of radial cross-bores proximal a top end of the piston; a plurality of locking pills having inner and outer ends, each of a respective one of said locking pills slidably disposed in a corresponding respective one of the cross-bores of the piston, where the locking pills are configured to travel from a first position in which the pills are situated radially inward and entirely within the piston, to a second position where the pills are deployed radially outward where the outer ends extend beyond an outer surface of the piston, and a shoulder on the pills exceeding a diameter of the cross-bores prevents the pills from deploying past the second position; and a spindle provided in the axial bore of the piston, where the spindle is axially slidable to a locking position in which a larger diameter portion of the spindle contacts the inner end of the locking pills and mechanically forces the locking pills to deploy radially outward to the second position, and the spindle is slidable to an unlocking position in which a smaller diameter portion of the spindle is aligned with the cross-bores of the piston and the locking pills are thereby, free to retract radially inward to the first position before the inner ends of the locking pills contact the spindle; a retainer cavity mounted on a lower surface of a second structure such that an opening of the cavity faces toward the first structure to receive the piston, where the retainer cavity includes an undercut surface on an inner lip, where the fastener system latches the second structure to the first structure via a latching sequence including placing the second structure adjacent the first structure, deploying the piston outward from the first structure in a substantially linear-only sliding motion of the piston into the retainer cavity in the second structure, and sliding the spindle to the locking position to deploy the locking pills radially outward to the second position and mechanically restrain the locking pills in the second position such that the locking pills cannot retract to the first position, and the locking pills contact the undercut surface of the retainer cavity to latch the second structure to the first structure. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification