Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Headed fastener element with nut – washer – securing means or cap – Metallic resilient securing means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-10-02
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Headed fastener element with nut, washer, securing means or cap
Metallic resilient securing means
C411S107000, C411S178000, C411S389000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296431
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to fastener devices and in particular to a self-contained fastener device which can releasably fasten itself to one of the two components being fastened and which can releasably fasten the two components together.
2. Description of Related Art
In many diverse fastening operations in which two components are being secured one to the other, it is desirable to have a fastener device which can be releasably secured to one of the two components, and which can releasably secure the two components one to the other. U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,685 (Madsen), U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,190 (Cornell), U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,799 (Davis), and U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,988 (Carter) show some of the existing fasteners of this type and some of the common applications.
Although there exist fasteners of this type that are self-contained—in other words whose component parts are retained together upon unfastening—such existing fasteners are generally bulky and unduly complicated. Smaller, more compact fasteners are desirable for applications in which space is limited. Also, simple fasteners with fewer parts are usually more reliable.
Also, the existing fasteners of this general type must be driven (such as by a wrench) from one particular side of the fastener, which severely limits the range of applications.
The invention of this application is an improvement to the invention disclosed in copending and commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/959,569 (the '569 application), filed on Oct. 28, 1997. Although the invention of the '569 application was a significant improvement over the then-existing prior art, there remain aspects of that invention that can be improved upon. For example, the current invention is structurally different from the invention in the '569 application. The '569 application describes a drive ring that is used to drive a stud into contact with a second object. The current invention uses a retaining cover, which retains the stud in a disengaged position. The stud in the current invention is pushed into contact with a second object by a spring.
The structural differences between the current invention and the invention described in the '569 application allow for functional improvements in the current invention. The current invention, because it uses a retaining cover instead of a drive ring, has increased floating capability of the stud. This increased floating capability allows the stud to more easily engage the threads of the second object when the second object is being connected to the first object.
The elimination of the drive ring in the current invention also reduces maintenance. In the current invention, there is little or no maintenance associated with normal use of the fastener. With both the current invention and the previous invention it is important that the stud be able to “free spin” after it is placed in the disengaged position. The stud is screwed into the housing to place it in a disengaged position. If not for the free spinning feature of both inventions, continued rotation of the stud once in the disengaged position would cause the housing to become disengaged from the first object. In the previous invention, the free spinning feature caused excessive wear of the drive ring, which required maintenance to replace the drive ring. In the current invention, the drive ring has been eliminated, thereby eliminating the need for frequent maintenance.
A more in-depth description of the improvements of the current invention over the invention in the '569 application is detailed in the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment of this application.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the general object of the present invention to provide a smaller, more compact, lower maintenance self-contained fastener capable of releasably attaching itself to one of two components and capable of releasably securing the two components together. It is also an object of the invention to provide such a self-contained fastener which can be driven from both sides of the fastener.
The present invention provides a fastener device with a cylindrical housing, an embodiment of which has threads located on its exterior surface for releasably securing the housing to one of the two objects being fastened. Inside the housing is located a cooperating member which extends in the axial direction of the housing. The cooperating member is movable between an engaged position in which the cooperating member engages the second object and a disengaged position in which the cooperating member does not engage the second object. The cooperating member has a cooperating member stop shoulder opposed to the housing stop shoulder and adapted to mate with the housing stop shoulder when the cooperating member is in the engaged position. When the cooperating member is in the engaged position, the cooperating member can retain the second object at a selected position with respect to the first object. The second object can be released by moving the cooperating member from the engaged to the disengaged position.
A retaining cover is located toward a lower end of the housing. A spring is disposed between the retaining cover and the cooperating member stop shoulder. The spring functions to bias the cooperating member into engagement with the second object when the cooperating member is not in the disengaged position. The retaining cover is adapted to engage the cooperating member and serves to retain the cooperating when the cooperating member is in the disengaged position member in the disengaged position.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages will become apparent in the following description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2992685 (1961-07-01), Madsen
patent: 3124190 (1964-03-01), Cornell
patent: 3250559 (1966-05-01), Sommerfeld
patent: 3578799 (1971-05-01), Davis
patent: 3683988 (1972-08-01), Carter et al.
patent: 4396327 (1983-08-01), Menke
patent: 5338139 (1994-08-01), Swanstrom
patent: 5462395 (1995-10-01), Damm et al.
patent: 6095736 (2000-08-01), Miller et al.
Vought drawing date unknown.
Boeing drawing “Back-Bolt Assembly,” Dec. 13, 1993, maybe earlier.
Vought Aircraft Compnay drawling, Jan. 4, 1994, maybe earlier.
Ciccarelli Max
Hilton Robert C.
Nissi Industrial Technology, Inc.
Thompson & Knight L.L.P.
Wilson Neill
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