Connecting device for improved alignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10851822-B2
Application number	US-201515544608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2015
Priority date	Jan 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A device, system and method to connect a receiving member and a connecting device with a pin such that an asymmetrical configuration after the alignment of the connecting member and the receiving member does not give rise to asymmetrical glue distribution, nor asymmetrical shrinking nor curing drift. The receiving member has a receiving planar surface with at least one opening, and the connecting device has a main body with a contact plane, the main body having at least one opening where the connecting device is placed with the contact plane towards the receiving planar surface so that the at least one opening of the connecting device overlaps the at least one opening of the receiving surface, and the pin is inserted into the overlap. The system having a device for exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connecting and aligning system, the system comprising:
a pin and a receiving member having a receiving planar surface with at least one opening being big enough to provide space between the pin and the receiving member to allow freedom of movement for an alignment process, and
a connecting device having a main body with a contact plane, said main body having at least one major surface lying in the contact plane and at least one opening whereby the connecting device is placed with the contact plane towards the receiving planar surface so that the at least one opening of the connecting device overlaps the at least one opening of the receiving surface, to create a channel, and the pin is inserted into said channel in a direction orthogonal to the at least one major surface,
said system further comprising means for exerting a force between the at least one major surface lying in the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member,
wherein the orientation of the pin with respect to the receiving planar surface of the receiving member can vary with six degrees of freedom in the alignment process and the connecting device is configured to slide over the receiving member in a lateral movement, and for all orientations, the at least one major surface lying in the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member remain parallel to each other,
wherein orientation of the pin varying with six degrees of freedom in the alignment process includes a center axis of the pin being able to be shifted laterally in the at least one opening with respect to a center axis of the channel to create an offset, and wherein the pin and receiving member are configured in a way to be able to be fixed with the offset between the center axis of the pin and the center axis of the channel after the alignment process,
wherein only sidewalls of the at least one opening of the connecting device and the at least one opening of the receiving surface create sidewalls of the channel when aligned.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the contact plane comprises at least three contact points for contacting the receiving planar surface.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein for all orientations of the pin, the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member stay in contact with each other.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one opening of the connecting device is selected from:
the at least one opening not being fully enclosed, and
the at least one opening of the main body of the connecting device is of any shape, and
the at least one opening of the main body of the connecting device is circular, oval, square, rectangular or triangular or any combination of any of the five and the at least one opening of the main body of the connecting device has walls with notches.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the means for exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member is selected from:
the means for exerting a force being of mechanical-, magnetic-, gravitational-, electromagnetic-, electrostatic-, adhesive or of pressure differential nature, or any combination of any number of the seven, and
the means for exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member, is provided externally, and
the means for exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member is attached to the pin or to the connecting device.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the means for exerting a force between the contact plane and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member comprises an elastic member that is integrated with the connecting device or is attached to the receiving member so that it clamps the connecting device to the receiving member.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the means for exerting a force between the contact plane and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member comprises at least one second surface, distant from the contact plane, and at least one elastic member connecting the at least one second surface with the contact plane.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the second surface has spherical or cylindrical elevations that make contact with the receiving member.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein a height of the sidewalls of the at least one opening of the main body of the connecting device is smaller than a thickness of the rest of the connecting device.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the connecting device has members that are inclined towards each other in their resting state.

11. A method for connecting and aligning a pin and a receiving member, said receiving member having a receiving planar surface with at least one opening being big enough to provide space between the pin and the receiving member to allow freedom of movement for an alignment process, and a connecting device having a main body with a contact plane, said main body having at least one major surface lying in the contact plane and at least one opening, the method comprising:
placing the connecting device with the contact plane towards the receiving planar surface so that an opening of the connecting device overlaps an opening of the receiving surface, to create a channel, and inserting the pin into said channel in a direction orthogonal to the at least one major surface,
exerting a force between the at least one major surface lying in the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface,
aligning the pin towards the receiving planar surface by varying the pin with six degrees of freedom in the alignment process wherein the connecting device is slid over the receiving member in a lateral movement, and for all orientations, the at least one major surface lying in the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member remain parallel to each other,
wherein aligning the pin includes shifting a center axis of the pin laterally in the at least one opening with respect to a center axis of the channel to create an offset, and
fixing the offset between the center axis of the pin and the center axis of the channel after the aligning,
wherein only sidewalls of the at least one opening of the connecting device and the at least one opening of the receiving surface create sidewalls of the channel when aligned.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member is selected from:
exerting by a force of any of mechanical-, magnetic-, gravitational-, electromagnetic-, electrostatic-, adhesive or of pressure differential nature, or any combination of any number of the seven, and
exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member, is provided externally, and
exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member is performed by means attached to the pin, and
exerting a force between the contact plane of the connecting device and the receiving planar surface of the receiving member is performed by means attached to the connecting device or attached to the receiving member.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein

Assignees

• Barco Nv

Inventors

• Hellin Frank

Classifications

• F16B11/006 Primary

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title

• F16B21/20

  for bolts or shafts without holes, grooves, or notches for locking members {(by rings resilient in their plane F16B21/18)} · CPC title