IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,623,276
Granted Patent B2
US 12,623,276 · App. 18/446,967 · Granted May 12, 2026

Fastener storage

Inventors: Harinder Singh Oberoi (Snohomish, WA); Kevin Marion Barrick (Kingston, WA); Yuanxin Charles Hu (Newcastle, WA); Melissa A. Johnson (Puyallup, WA); Laura Carolyn Foster (Brier, WA); Gi Jun Hong (Pusan, KR); Hwangyu Shin (Gyeongsangnam-Do, KR); Youngwoo Koh (Busan, KR)
Assignee: The Boeing Company
B21J15/32B23P19/001B23P19/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,623,276
App. No.
18/446,967
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Fastener storage is presented. The fastener storage comprises a disc with a plurality of apertures through a first face of the disc and arranged in a plurality of rings concentric with the disc, and a plurality of machine-readable identifiers on the first face of the disc.

Claims (33)

1 . A fastener storage that comprises:

a disc with a plurality of apertures through a first face of the disc and arranged in a plurality of rings concentric with the disc; and

a plurality of machine-readable identifiers located on the first face of the disc and configured to indicate a distance that a fastener is elevated above the first face.

2 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a single respective aperture diameter in each ring of the plurality of rings.

3 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a plurality of aperture diameters.

4 . The fastener storage of claim 3 , wherein an innermost ring of the plurality of rings has a smallest aperture diameter of the plurality of aperture diameters.

5 . The fastener storage of claim 3 , wherein an innermost ring of the plurality of rings has a largest aperture diameter of the plurality of aperture diameters.

6 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein an aperture spacing in each ring of the plurality of rings is large enough to have a respective machine-readable identifier of the plurality of machine-readable identifiers.

7 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of machine-readable identifiers comprises QR codes.

8 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of machine-readable identifiers comprises RFID tags.

9 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of machine-readable identifiers comprises bar codes.

10 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , further comprising a stand interface on a second face of the disc.

11 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures is symmetrical.

12 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein the disc is non-metallic.

13 . The fastener storage of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of apertures has a respective aperture diameter with a clearance-fit to a predefined fastener.

14 . The fastener storage of claim 1 , wherein inserts are secured within the plurality of apertures, and wherein the inserts are non-metallic.

15 . The fastener storage of claim 14 , wherein each of the inserts has a clearance-fit to a predefined fastener.

16 . A fastener storage that comprises:

a disc that comprises concentric circles of apertures through a first face of the disc, wherein each of the apertures comprises a respective aperture diameter with a clearance-fit to a predefined fastener and aperture diameters vary between each of the concentric circles; and

machine-readable identifiers on the first face of the disc, each of the machine-readable identifiers configured to identify a distance that a head of a fastener is elevated above the first face.

17 . The fastener storage of claim 16 , wherein the apertures are asymmetrically placed in the disc.

18 . The fastener storage of claim 16 , wherein each of the machine-readable identifiers is located closer to an edge of the disc than an aperture it identifies.

19 . The fastener storage of claim 16 , wherein the machine-readable identifiers are alternated with the apertures.

20 . A method of storing fasteners, the method comprising:

placing, shaft first, the fasteners into a set of apertures in a first face of a disc so that, respectively, a head of each of the fasteners remains elevated a distance above the first face; and

assigning fastener size data to a set of machine-readable identifiers allocated to the set of apertures and configured to identify the distance above the first face.

21 . A method of storing a fastener, the method comprising:

placing, shaft first, the fastener into an aperture in a first face of a disc such that a head of the fastener remains elevated a distance above the first face; and

assigning fastener size data for the fastener, comprising the distance above the first face, to a machine-readable identifier allocated to the aperture.

22 . A method of forming a fastener storage, the method comprising:

analyzing a design for a portion of a structure for fastener quantity, fastener type, and fastener diameter, of a plurality of fasteners in the design;

forming apertures into a disc, the apertures comprising respective aperture diameters selected to hold the plurality of fasteners based on at least one of the fastener diameter or the fastener type in the disc with, respectively, a head of the fastener elevated a distance above the disc; and

forming machine-readable identifiers adjacent to each of the apertures, each the machine-readable identifiers identifying, respectively, the distance above the disc for the fastener.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2023
From: HONG, GI JUN; SHIN, HWANGYU; KOH, YOUNGWOO
To: KOREAN AIR LINES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064540/0120 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2023
From: OBEROI, HARINDER SINGH; BARRICK, KEVIN MARION; HU, YUANXIN CHARLES; JOHNSON, MELISSA A.; FOSTER, LAURA CAROLYN
To: THE BOEING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 064539/0975 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63377543 · Sep 29, 2022
Related Publication 20240109120A1 · Apr 4, 2024
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