In situ formation of threads throughout bore of sleeve inserted into substrate hole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940567-B2
Application number	US-201414546384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 23, 2010
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

Threads are formed in situ throughout a bore of a sleeve inserted into a corresponding hole in a substrate. A sleeve having a bore is inserted into a corresponding hole of a substrate. A mandrel is rotated through the sleeve. The mandrel has a threaded ended; the threaded end rotating throughout the bore of the sleeve forms threads throughout the bore. Prior to inserting the sleeve into the corresponding hole of the substrate, the sleeve can be placed onto the mandrel. In this case, the mandrel has an increasing diameter at the threaded end thereof, such that the sleeve rests on the mandrel towards the threaded end thereof where the bore has a smaller diameter than the mandrel. The mandrel is then rotated out of the sleeve in a direction opposite the direction in which the sleeve has been inserted into the corresponding hole of the substrate.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system, comprising:
a sleeve having a bore that is threaded by a threaded end of a mandrel, wherein:
the mandrel has an increasing diameter at the threaded end;
the bore has a smaller diameter than the threaded end of the mandrel; and

a substrate having a hole, wherein:
the sleeve is disposed within the hole;
an outer surface of the sleeve is engaged with an inner surface of the hole; and
the bore is threaded and the outer surface of the sleeve is engaged with the inner surface of the hole by:
placing the sleeve onto the mandrel such that the sleeve rests on the mandrel towards the threaded end;
inserting the sleeve and the mandrel into the hole in an insertion direction in which the mandrel enters the hole before the sleeve enters the hole; and
rotating the mandrel throughout the bore and out of the sleeve in a direction opposite the insertion direction while the sleeve remains disposed within the hole.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the increasing diameter at the threaded end increases linearly.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the sleeve is knurled.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
a lip of the sleeve is disposed flat against and not extending into an upper surface of the substrate;
the upper surface of the substrate being disposed opposite a lower surface of the substrate; and
the bore extending through the lip of the sleeve.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mandrel comprises:
a rod having a first rod end opposite the threaded end, the threaded end comprising a threaded frustum.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
an outer surface of the rod is unthreaded; and
the rod has a constant diameter across a length of the rod.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Brower David M
• Herring Dean F

Classifications

• B21C37/207 Primary

  with helical guides · CPC title

• B29L2031/737

  Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves (nets B29L2028/00) · CPC title

• B21J15/147

  Composite articles · CPC title

• B21J15/043

  by pulling a mandrel · CPC title

• B29C66/131

  Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area · CPC title