Joints and connections – Having a joining piece extending through aligned openings in...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-02
2003-08-19
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Having a joining piece extending through aligned openings in...
C403S282000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06607328
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fastener assembly adapted for pivotal engagement of adjacent components. More particularly, this invention relates to a fastener assembly adapted to engage adjacent components so that they can be pivoted with respect to one another about a pivot axis.
2. Related Art
Over the years, many fastener assemblies have been proposed, to provide rotational motion between two adjacent components. For example, threaded fasteners such as screws have been proposed to provide a pivot point or pivot axis for the rotational coupling of components.
Referring to
FIG. 1
for the purpose of illustration, one version of a threaded fastener assembly is shown. Threaded fastener assembly
10
is used to couple adjacent components
12
A and
12
B for rotation about a pivot axis
11
.
Fastener assembly
10
provides a threaded nut
14
that is press-fit into component
12
A or otherwise attached to components
12
A in a manner that prevents rotation of nut
14
with respect to component
12
A. Fastener assembly
10
also includes a slotted, threaded screw
16
having a threaded body
18
, with male threads, that extends through apertures (not shown) in adjacent components
12
A and
12
B for threaded engagement with the female threads in nut
14
. The screw
16
is tightened with the use of a screwdriver in order to force components
12
A and
12
B into frictional contact with one another along their adjoining surfaces.
Fastener assembly
10
also includes a split or beveled lock washer
20
between the surface of adjacent component
12
B and the head of screw
16
. The washer
20
is intended to increase the frictional engagement between the male threads of body
18
of screw
16
and the female threads of nut
14
, thereby resisting rotation between nut
14
and screw
16
that would cause the fastener assembly to loosen.
It has been discovered, however, that the use of threaded fastener assemblies to provide rotational motion between two adjacent components can have several disadvantages. First, such systems can be inconsistently assembled in production because the torque applied to the screw such as screw
16
can vary from one assembly to the next. Accordingly, the resistance to rotation as between components
12
A and
12
B can vary significantly from one assembly to the next. The quality of the “feel” of the resulting assemblies may therefore suffer.
Also, threaded fastener assemblies, especially when used for the rotational engagement of adjacent components, tend to loosen over time as the result of repeated use. Despite the intended operation of washer
20
, the assembly can vary in tightness over time. Accordingly, a “floppy” feel can result, and the components will not remain in a desired position after being released. In other words, the loosened assembly will not be able to resist the effect of gravity on the components and a component might rotate as the result of the movement of the assembly. Also, a loosened assembly is likely to result in variations of the axis of the threaded fastener with respect to the components and the axis can become “skewed,” thereby resulting in an unpredictably varying pivot axis.
Threaded fasteners can also be relatively expensive from the standpoint of labor and materials. For example, in the threaded fastener assembly
10
illustrated in
FIG. 1
, nut
14
must be press-fit into component
12
A or otherwise connected in a preliminary operation. Washer
20
must then be assembled over the body
18
of screw
16
. The screw
16
is then torqued into nut
14
to complete the assembly. The labor needed to complete assembly
10
is especially significant when many such assemblies are required for a particular product or product production line.
From the standpoint of materials, threaded fastener assembly
10
requires three components in addition to adjacent components
12
A and
12
B; namely, threaded fastener assembly
10
requires a nut
14
, a screw
16
, and a washer
20
. Although each of these individual fastener components may not be expensive, the cumulative expense may be significant when many such assemblies are required. Also, the expense of inventory can also become significant.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fastener assembly that overcomes the disadvantages associated with the prior art. It is a further object to provide a fastener assembly that can be assembled consistently to provide a quality “feel” to the end user. It is another object to provide a fastener assembly that will not loosen significantly over time with repeated use. It is yet another object to provide a fastener assembly with reduced labor and component expense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A fastener assembly is provided that is adapted to engage adjacent components for rotation with respect to one another about an axis. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the fastener assembly includes a component defining, an aperture extending therethrough along a pivot axis as well as an adjacent component also defining an aperture extending therethrough along the pivot axis. The fastener assembly also includes a support contacting the component, wherein the support defines an aperture extending therethrough along the pivot axis in substantially concentric arrangement with the apertures of the component and the adjacent component.
The fastener assembly also includes a fastener contacting the adjacent component, and the fastener has a body extending along the pivot axis and through the apertures defined in the component, the adjacent component, and the support. An end portion of the body extends beyond the support, and the body of the fastener has a cross section sized to permit insertion through the aperture defined in the support. The end portion of the body of the fastener is deformed radially outwardly into engagement with the support upon the insertion to a cross section sized to prevent removal of the end portion through the aperture defined in the support. The fastener engages the component, the adjacent component, and the support upon the deformation with sufficient compression along the pivot axis to resist unintended rotation of the component and the adjacent component with respect to one another about the pivot axis and to permit intended rotation of the component and the adjacent component.
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Bochna David E.
Browne Lynne H.
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