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US 11,098,478 B2Granted
Fastening and alignment member
AssigneeSimpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc.
InventorsMichael S. Downs, Jin-Jie Lin, Timothy M. Stauffer, Emmet J. Mielbrecht, Dustin P. Muhn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connection between a connector, a fastener and one or more structural members is disclosed. The connector can be formed with a fastening and alignment member. The fastening and alignment member includes a projecting member and a protruding member in close proximity to a predetermined location for the fastener.
Claims18
A connection between a structural member, a connector and a fastener, the connection comprising:
- a. the structural member having a planar attachment face;
- b. the fastener having an elongated shaft, a portion of the elongated shaft being received by the structural member and entering the structural member through the attachment face, the fastener also being received by the connector;
- and
- c. the connector, the connector having a body portion, the body portion being a planar member having a planar front surface disposed away from the attachment face of the structural member and a planar back surface disposed facing the attachment face of the structural member, the body portion also having a predetermined location for the fastener, the fastener being received by the body portion at the predetermined location or adjacent thereto;
- the body portion having a deformed portion adjacent the predetermined location for the fastener, the deformed portion including a projecting member that projects rearwardly towards the attachment face of the structural member, the projecting member having a sloping surface that descends toward the predetermined location, the projecting member descends from an upper portion of the deformed portion, the projecting member projecting closer to the attachment face of the structural member than the planar back surface of the connector when the planar attachment face of the structural member and the planar back surface of the body portion of the connector are parallel, the upper portion being adjacent to the projecting member and radially farther away from the predetermined location for the fastener than the projecting member, adjacent to the upper portion is a protruding member that projects rearwardly towards the attachment face of the structural member, the protruding member being disposed closer to the attachment face of the structural member than the upper portion of the deformed portion, the protruding member being disposed closer to the attachment face of the structural member than the planar back surface of the connector when the planar attachment face of the structural member and the planar back surface of the body portion of the connector are parallel, adjacent to the protruding member is a second upper portion, the second upper portion being radially farther away from the predetermined location for the fastener than the protruding member, the protruding member being disposed closer to the attachment face of the structural member than the second upper portion when the planar attachment face of the structural member and the planar back surface of the body portion of the connector are parallel, and wherein
- d. the fastener has a head that has portions that flare outwardly from the shaft and engage the sloped surface of the projecting member.
3 more elements
A connection between a structural member, a connector and a fastener, the connection comprising:
- a. the structural member having a planar attachment face;
- b. the fastener having an elongated shaft, a portion of the elongated shaft being received by the structural member and entering the structural member through the attachment face, the fastener also being received by the connector;
- and
- c. the connector, the connector having a body portion, the body portion having a planar front surface disposed away from the attachment face of the structural member and a planar back surface disposed facing the attachment face of the structural member, the body portion also having a predetermined location for the fastener, the fastener being received by the body portion at the predetermined location or adjacent thereto;
- the body portion having a deformed portion adjacent the predetermined location for the fastener, the deformed portion including a projecting member that projects rearwardly towards the attachment face of the structural member, the projecting member having a sloping surface that descends toward the predetermined location, the projecting member descends from an upper portion of the deformed portion, the upper portion being adjacent to the projecting member and radially farther away from the predetermined location for the fastener than the projecting member, adjacent to the upper portion is a protruding member that projects rearwardly towards the attachment face of the structural member, the protruding member having a flat surface facing the attachment face of the structural member, the protruding member being disposed closer to the attachment face of the structural member than the upper portion of the deformed portion when the planar attachment face of the structural member and the planar back surface of the body portion of the connector are parallel, adjacent to the protruding member is a second upper portion, the second upper portion being radially farther away from the predetermined location for the fastener than the protruding member, the protruding member being disposed closer to the attachment face of the structural member than the second upper portion when the planar attachment face of the structural member and the planar back surface of the body portion of the connector are parallel, and wherein
- d. the fastener has a head that has portions that flare outwardly from the shaft and engage the sloped surface of the projecting member.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.