# US 10,502,254 B2 · Integral nut-retaining cradle for a nut plate assembly and methods of manufacturing using additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,254 B2 - Document ID: US10502254B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/659,685 - Filed: 2017-07-26 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-26 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Paul Dufour; Michael Hand; Matthew Molitor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502254B2 ## CPC - F16B 37/044: {Nut cages} - B22F 7/062: {involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts} - B22F 10/12: by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP] - B22F 10/18: by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] - B22F 10/25: Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B23K 15/0086: {welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding} - B23K 26/342: Build-up welding - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - B62D 27/02: rigid - B63B 17/00: Vessels parts, details, or accessories, not otherwise provided for {(vehicle fittings for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles in general B60R25/00; propeller guards, line cutters or other means for protecting propellers or rudders B63H5/165; protection of power legs of outboard propulsion units B63H20/36; locking devices for boats, surfboards or parts or accessories thereof E05B73/007)} - B64F 5/10: Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor - F16B 37/04: Devices for fastening nuts to surfaces, e.g. sheets, plates {(nuts fastened behind a wall by a toggle-mechanism F16B13/0808; threaded inserts F16B37/122; measures against loss of bolts, nuts or pins F16B41/002)} - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Additively manufactured parts are disclosed comprising an integral additively manufactured nut plate cradle, and methods of their manufacture and use in part and component installation and to facilitate joining parts and components to larger structures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An additively manufactured part comprising: an additively manufactured nut-retaining cradle integral with the additive manufactured part, said integral nut-retaining cradle comprising an integral cradle bed and at least one integral cradle wall, said integral cradle wall extending substantially perpendicularly from the integral cradle bed and said integral cradle wall extending from the integral cradle bed to a predetermined distance; and wherein the integral cradle wall comprises at least one integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature, said integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature configured to receive a retainer, said retainer configured to engage the integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature, said integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature further configured to establish a restricted range of movement for a nut retained in the nut-retaining cradle along at least one axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature comprises at least one recess in at least one integral cradle wall. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The additively manufactured part according to claim 2, wherein the recess extends through the integral cradle wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The additively manufactured part according to claim 2, wherein the recess comprises a through-slot extending through the integral cradle wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the retainer is selected from the group consisting of: a clip; a pin; a continuous ring; a discontinuous ring; and combinations thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the nut comprises a floating nut. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the integral cradle bed comprises at least one integral cradle bed nut-orienting feature, said integral cradle bed nut-orienting feature configured to establish a restricted range of movement for a nut retained in the integral cradle bed along at least one axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The additively manufactured part of claim 7, wherein the integral cradle bed nut-orienting feature comprises a post, said post extending a predetermined distance from the integral cradle bed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the integral cradle bed comprises: a cradle bed upper surface, said cradle bed comprising a predetermined thickness, and wherein the integral cradle bed upper surface extends a predetermined distance from a surface of the additively manufactured part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the integral cradle bed comprises: a cradle bed upper surface; and wherein the integral cradle bed upper surface is substantially flush with a surface of the additively manufactured part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the additively manufactured part comprises a non-metallic material, said non-metallic material selected from the group consisting of: a thermoset plastic material; a thermoplastic material; a composite material; a ceramic material; a carbon fiber-containing material; a boron fiber-containing material; a glass fiber-containing material; an aramid fiber-containing material; polytetrafluoroethylene; polyethylene terephthalate; glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate; and combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The additively manufactured part according to claim 1, wherein the additively manufactured part comprises a metallic material, said metallic material selected from the group consisting of: titanium; a titanium alloy; steel; aluminum; an aluminum alloy; cobalt; a cobalt alloy; bronze; copper; a copper alloy; and combinations thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A structure comprising the additively manufactured part of claim 1. ### Claim 14 An additively manufactured part comprising: an additively manufactured nut-retaining cradle integral with the additive manufactured part, said integral nut-retaining cradle comprising an integral cradle bed and at least one integral cradle wall, said integral cradle wall extending substantially perpendicularly from the integral cradle bed and said integral cradle wall extending from the integral cradle bed to a predetermined distance; and wherein the integral cradle wall comprises at least one integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature, said integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature configured to receive a retainer, said retainer configured to engage the integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature, said integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature further configured to establish a restricted range of movement for a nut retained in the nut-retaining cradle along at least one axis; wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of: a manned terrestrial vehicle; an unmanned terrestrial vehicle; a manned aircraft; an unmanned aircraft; a manned rotorcraft; an unmanned rotorcraft; a manned spacecraft; an unmanned spacecraft; a manned surface water borne vehicle; an unmanned surface water borne vehicle; a manned sub-surface water borne vehicle; an unmanned sub-surface water borne vehicle; a satellite; a rocket; a missile; and combinations thereof. ### Claim 15 A method of manufacturing a part, the method comprising: using an additive manufacturing process to construct a part; and forming a nut-retaining cradle for a nut plate assembly, said nut-retaining cradle additively manufactured integrally with the part and comprising a cradle bed and at least one integral cradle wall that includes at least one integral cradle wall nut-retaining feature configured to receive a retainer and further configured to establish a restricted range of movement for a nut retained in the cradle bed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the additive manufacturing process is selected from the group consisting of: direct energy deposition; direct metal laser sintering; direct metal printing; electron beam additive manufacturing; electron beam melting; electron beam powder bed; fused deposition modeling; indirect powder bed; laser cladding; laser deposition; laser deposition welding; laser deposition welding/integrated milling; laser engineering net shaping; laser freeform manufacturing; laser metal deposition with powder; laser metal deposition with wire; laser powder bed; laser puddle deposition; laser repair; powder directed energy deposition; stereolithography; selective laser melting; selective laser sintering; small puddle deposition, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein, in the step of using an additive manufacturing process to construct a part, the part selected from the group consisting of: comprises a non-metallic material, said non-metallic material comprising: a thermoset plastic material; a thermoplastic material; a composite material; a ceramic material; a carbon fiber-containing material, a boron fiber-containing material; a glass fiber-containing material; an aramid fiber-containing material; polytetrafluoroethylene; polyethylene terephthalate; glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate; or combinations thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein, in the step of using an additive manufacturing process to construct a part, the part comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a metallic material, said metallic material comprising: titanium; a titanium alloy; steel, aluminum; an aluminum alloy; cobalt; a cobalt alloy; bronze; copper; a copper alloy; and combinations thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein, in the step of forming a nut-retaining cradle, said nut-retaining cradle is dimensioned to orient a nut. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A part manufactured according to the method of claim 15.