Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-28
2001-08-14
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C029S512000, C029S523000, C029S444000, C029S898047, C029S434000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272728
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fasteners, and more particularly to a maintenance free fastener and bearing combination adapted to pivotably couple a plurality of members to one another.
2. Background Information
Many applications call for convenient means for rotatably or pivotably fastening multiple members to one another in a maintenance free manner. Examples of such applications include multiple bar linkages commonly utilized in the automotive industry for trunk deck lid and hood hinges, and as window stays adapted to raise and lower windows. Additional applications may include collapsible baby carriages or strollers, beach chairs, recliners, toys, automobile seats, or substantially any other application involving pivotable movement. For example, it is common to couple two arms of a window stay or a hood hinge linkage using a rivet, pin or similar fastener that extends through two apertures formed one in each of the adjacent ends of the arms to be joined. A bushing formed of a self-lubricating material such as nylon or suitable plastic material is interposed between the rivet and the arms to prevent metal to metal contact in the joint between moving parts of the arms and rivet. In some instances, a washer may be installed concentrically about the bushing between the two arms to facilitate the rotational movement of the arms relative to one another and help prevent binding.
Moreover, in a variation of the above approach, it is often desirable to utilize a two-part bushing to facilitate manufacturability and to provide enhanced pivotal movement. In this regard, the bushing is essentially provided in two discrete half portions. A first half portion is permanently installed and captured, such as by swaging or flanging operations, in the aperture of the first arm, while a second half portion is similarly installed in the aperture of the second arm. A fastener such as a rivet is then installed in a conventional manner into both halves of the bushing to join the arms to one another.
While the foregoing approach may operate satisfactorily, it is not without drawbacks. In particular, the configuration utilizes a relatively high number of discrete components, each of which must be separately inventoried and installed. This tends to add undesirable complexity and expense to the overall assembly.
Furthermore, it is important that such joints be accurately formed so that the joint is relatively tight and the fastener or rivet, which holds the joint together, is properly oriented. If the rivet is off-center within the apertures and/or canted to an oblique angle relative to the axes of the apertures during manufacture or operation, due to, for example., insufficiently loose tolerances, the joint will be inaccurately formed and the arms will not be maintained in parallel orientation to one another. Any misalignment at the joint is magnified at the distal ends of the arms and thus it is important that such joints are so constructed as to minimize such difficulties. In addition, joints that are excessively loose when installed in, for example, automobiles, may tend to undesirably rattle during vehicle operation. For these reasons, and to help prevent the joints from loosening prematurely upon repeated use, it is desirable to manufacture the joint components to relatively tight tolerances.
In this regard, generally speaking, tolerance stacking and other factors afford assemblies fabricated with a relatively large number of discrete components with greater opportunities for misalignment and mechanical loosening than similar assemblies fabricated from fewer discrete components. It thus may be desirable to hold components of the former assemblies to tighter tolerances than those of the latter. Those skilled in the art will recognize that tighter tolerances tend to relatively increase the expense of component manufacture.
A need thus exists for an improved maintenance free fastener and bearing combination that utilizes fewer components and otherwise overcomes the problems of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a fastener adapted to join a plurality of members to one another, includes a shank portion elongated along a central axis thereof, and is adapted for receipt within bores or apertures in the plurality of members. The shank portion has a first end and a second end, each of which are adapted for being flanged to capture the plurality of members therebetween. A sliding is layer is laminated to an outer surface of the shank portion, in which the sliding layer is adapted to engage at least one member of the plurality of members to provide for substantially maintenance free sliding movement of the member relative to the fastener.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a fastener adapted to join a plurality of members to one another, includes a shank portion elongated along a central axis thereof, and is adapted for receipt within apertures in the plurality of members. The shank portion has a first end, a second end and a thrust portion extending transversely outward from a medial perimeter of the shank portion. The first end is adapted for being flanged to capture at least one member of the plurality of members between the thrust portion and the first end. A sliding layer is laminated to an outer surface of the shank portion, in which the sliding layer is adapted to engage the at least one member of the plurality of members to provide for substantially maintenance free sliding movement of the at least one member relative to the fastener.
In a third aspect of the invention, a method of fabrication of a fastener adapted to join a plurality of members to one another, includes the steps of providing a substrate of relatively high ductility, tensile strength and shear strength and laminating a sliding layer to the substrate. The substrate is formed into a shank portion elongated along a central axis thereof, so that the sliding layer is disposed on an outer surface of the shank portion so that the shank portion is adapted for receipt within bores or apertures of the plurality of members. The shank portion is provided with a first end and a second end that are each adapted to be flanged to capture the plurality of members therebetween, so that the sliding layer is adapted to engage at least one member of the plurality of members to provide for substantially maintenance free sliding movement of the at least one member relative to the fastener.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a method of fabrication of a fastener adapted to join a plurality of members to one another, includes the steps of providing a substrate of relatively high ductility, tensile strength and shear strength and laminating a sliding layer to the substrate. The substrate is formed into a shank portion elongated along a central axis thereof, so that the sliding layer is disposed on an outer surface of the shank portion, and so the shank portion is adapted for receipt within bores or apertures of the plurality of members. A thrust portion is formed to extend transversely outward from a medial perimeter of the shank portion. A first end of the shank portion is provided with the ability to be flanged to capture at least one member of the plurality of members between the thrust portion and the first end, so that the sliding layer is adapted to engage the at least one member of the plurality of members to provide for substantially maintenance free sliding movement of the at least one member relative to the fastener.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a method of rotatably fastening a plurality of members to one another, includes the steps of providing a fastener having a shank portion elongated along a central axis thereof, with a first end, a second end and a thrust portion extending transversely outward from a medial perimeter of the shank portion. The first end and the second end are each provided with the ability to be flanged, and a sliding layer is laminated to an outer surface of the shank portion. The
Lenac Albert
Portelli Louis V.
Szwedziuk Antoni Jan
Blount Steve
Hughes S. Thomas
Norton Performance Plastics Corporation
Sampson Richard L.
Ulbrich Volker R.
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