Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Threaded fastener locked to a discreet structure – Fastener – or coaxial adjunct therefor – having sidewardly...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-11
2003-10-28
Saether, Flemming (Department: 3679)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Threaded fastener locked to a discreet structure
Fastener, or coaxial adjunct therefor, having sidewardly...
C411S112000, C411S353000, C411S999000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637993
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floating nut which can be fastened at a high torque.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case wherein components which are to be joined with each other after completion of manufacture are produced individually at predetermined dimensions, such as a satellite capsule of a space rocket and the rocket body, a so-called floating nut is generally used as a joining member to allow adjustment of dimensional difference occurred during the manufacturing process within a given tolerance when joining the respective components.
FIG. 4
shows a plan view of a conventional floating nut, and
FIG. 5
shows a side plan view of the floating nut partly in section. A conventional floating nut
1
comprises a retainer
2
formed by folding a plate into a convex shape and a nut
3
. The retainer
2
is folded in a convex shape as shown in
FIG. 5
, and holes
2
a
are opened at both ends thereof so as to pass a rivet, etc. to fix the retainer
2
to one of components to be joined with each other. Further, an opening
2
b
is formed in a center portion of the retainer
2
, which is formed at a higher stage than both ends having the holes
2
a
, so as to pass the nut
3
, and the retainer
2
has a width gradually increasing as approaching to the center thereof as shown in FIG.
4
.
The nut
3
with a flange
3
c
is a 12-point nut and can be explained as that it has a shape of an external diameter in which coaxial hexagons of the same dimension are mutually deviated by 30°. The nut
3
has a caulking portion
3
d
, which is to be elliptically caulked after the nut
3
is engaged with a corresponding bolt (not shown), whereby a female screw
3
e
of the nut
3
can be firmly fixed to a male screw of the bolt resulting in a high tightening torque.
In addition, the opening
2
b
of the retainer
2
has twelve recesses
2
c
formed at equal spacing corresponding to projections
3
a
of the nut
3
. Twelve protrusions
2
d
located between the recesses
2
c
are abutted on the projections
3
a
of the nut
3
while ensuring a predetermined clearance to the projections
3
a
of the nut
3
by the recesses
2
c
, and the rotational angle of the nut
3
with respect to the retainer
2
within the opening
2
b
can be limited.
In the manufacturing process of the floating nut
1
, the nut
3
is prevented from falling out from the opening
2
b
of the retainer
2
by caulking an upper end
3
b
of the projection
3
a
so that the upper end
3
b
protrudes from the recess
2
c
of the opening
2
b
after the nut
3
is passed through the opening
2
b
of the retainer
2
as shown in FIG.
5
.
When the retainer
2
of the floating nut
1
is fixed to one of the components which are joined, the nut
3
becomes eccentric with respect to the retainer
2
by the clearance between the recess
2
c
of the opening
2
b
and the projection
3
a
of the nut
3
thereby being able to adjust the positional deviation to the bolt positioned by the other joined component achieving a reliable joining.
However, the conventional floating nut
1
included the following problems. In order to prevent the nut
3
from falling out from the opening
2
b
of the retainer
2
, the upper end
3
b
of the projection
3
a
is caulked so that the upper end
3
b
protrudes from the recess
2
c
of the opening
2
b
in the floating nut
1
as shown in FIG.
5
. However, the amount of the protrusion by means of the caulking is naturally limited. As a result, the clearance between the projection
3
a
of the nut
3
and the recess
2
c
of the retainer
2
is required to be kept at an amount less than the amount of the protrusion protruded by the caulking.
The clearance between the projection
3
a
of the nut
3
and the recess
2
c
of the retainer
2
has a direct relation in the floating amount of the nut
3
with respect to the retainer
2
. Thus, in the conventional floating nut
1
it has been possible to obtain only a small floating amount and cover only a limited dimensional difference meaning that opportunity of application was limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in light of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to widen the opportunity of application of a floating nut by increasing the amount of floating of the floating nut which supports a nut with a retainer by floating.
In order to solve the above problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, in a floating nut to support a nut passed through an opening of a retainer by floating with respect to the retainer, the nut comprises a protrusion and a recess having a predetermined difference in diameter on an outer circumferential surface, a flange of the outside diameter not less than the diameter of an opening of the retainer on a bottom, and a stop ring of the outside diameter not less than the diameter of the opening of the retainer at the height separated from the flange by at least the thickness of the opening portion of the retainer in an attachable/detachable manner, and the opening of the retainer is of the analogous shape ensuring a desired clearance with respect to the protrusion and the recess on the outer circumferential surface of the nut.
According to the present invention, the opening of the retainer has a shape analogous to the circumferential surface of the nut whereby a desired clearance between the opening of the retainer and the circumferential surface of the nut is secured, and thus the nut can be eccentric by the clearance. The nut further comprises the flange having the outside diameter not less than the diameter of the opening of the retainer on the bottom, and the stop ring having the outside diameter not less than the diameter of the opening of the retainer at the height separated from the flange by at least the thickness of the opening portion of the retainer in an attachable/detachable manner, and the nut is movable in the axial direction with respect to the retainer. The axially movable range of the nut with respect to the retainer is limited by the flange and the stop ring, and the nut is prevented from being detached from the retainer.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the floating nut according to the first aspect of the present invention, the clearance between the circumferential surface of the nut and the opening of the retainer analogous to the circumferential surface of the nut is determined according to the required floating amount.
According to the present invention, the desired floating amount can be secured since the clearance between the circumferential surface of the nut and the opening of the retainer analogous to the circumferential surface of the nut is determined according to the required floating amount. Also, in the present invention, the axially movable range of the nut with respect to the retainer is limited by the flange and the stop ring, and thus, the nut is prevented from falling out from the retainer.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the floating nut according to the first aspect of the present invention, the clearance between the protrusion and the recess of the nut and the analogous opening of the retainer is set to be greater than 1.52 mm.
According to the present invention, the clearance between the protrusion and the recess of the nut and the analogous opening of the retainer is set to be greater than 1.52 mm, and the floating amount greater than 0.76 mm in one direction can be obtained. Also, in the present invention, the axially movable range of the nut with respect to the retainer is limited by the flange and the stop ring, and thus, the nut is prevented from falling out from the retainer.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the floating nut according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the protrusion and the recess provided on the outer circumferential surface of the nut form the spline.
In the present invention, the protrusion and recess having a predetermine
Mineba Co. Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Saether Flemming
Schiffman Jori
LandOfFree
Floating nut does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Floating nut, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Floating nut will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3142662