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US 12,624,720 B2Granted
Enhanced flange nut
AssigneeBpc LG 2, LLC
InventorRaymond Disantis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nut allowing selective removal of nut material in very specific areas through the use of unusual curvatures and relationships, thereby providing enhanced durability, toughness, resilience to shock, and ability to accept elastic strain, while providing improved stress distribution, increased strength, and resistance to nut dilation. Features of the nut flange and nut transition area, specifically unique combination of radii of curvature, and the placement the curved surfaces, between the planar surfaces of tool engagement surfaces and the flange seat provide enhanced performance.
Claims20
A nut, comprising:
- a nut proximal end, a nut distal end, and a nut length between the nut proximal end and the nut distal end;
- a nut bore extending into the nut from the nut distal end and defining the bore longitudinal axis, with the nut bore having a nut bore proximal end, a nut bore distal end, a nut bore length, defined as the distance between the nut bore proximal end and the nut bore distal end, and a nut bore width;
- a nut bore thread located within at least a portion of the nut bore and having a NBT crest, a NBT root, and a NBT root wall thickness;
- a nut tool engagement area having a NTE length, measured parallel to the bore longitudinal axis, that varies from a NTE maximum length to a NTE minimum length, a NTE maximum width, a NTE minimum width, and a plurality of NTE planar surfaces;
- a nut flange having:
- a nut flange proximal end at the intersection with the NTE planar surface, a nut flange distal end, a nut flange length between the nut flange proximal end and the nut flange distal end, and a nut flange width;
- a nut flange seat having a NFS proximal end, a NFS distal end, a NFS length between the NFS proximal end and the NFS distal end, and a NFS width;
- a nut transition area having a transition length that varies from a maximum transition length to a minimum transition length, wherein the maximum transition length is 25-125% greater than the minimum transition length, and the minimum transition length is at least 7.5% of the nut length;
- and
- wherein within a first plane containing the bore longitudinal axis and the location of the maximum transition length, (a) the NBT root wall thickness increases from a first NBT root wall thickness in the nut tool engagement area to a second NBT root wall thickness at a midpoint of the maximum transition length, and the second NBT root wall thickness is no more than 3.0 times the first NBT root wall thickness, and (b) a transition surface of the nut transition area between the nut tool engagement area and the second NBT root wall thickness is concave outward;
- and
- wherein a controlled curvature region exists within the nut transition area and is located between a CCR sinistral edge plane and a CCR dextral edge plane, wherein:
- the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane both contain the bore longitudinal axis and intersect at the bore longitudinal axis with a CCR angle between the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane;
- a plurality of transition planar deviation points upper are in the controlled curvature region and in contact with the nut tool engagement area representing the points at which the controlled curvature region transitions from one of the plurality of NTE planar surfaces;
- a plurality of transition planar deviation points lower are in the controlled curvature region and in contact with the NFS proximal end representing the points at which the controlled curvature region transitions from a flat surface of the nut flange seat;
- the plurality of transition planar deviation points upper and the plurality of transition planar deviation points lower define an upper vertical boundary and a lower vertical boundary of the transition surface;
- a first analysis section exists in the controlled curvature region between the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane, and the first analysis section includes the bore longitudinal axis, wherein within the first analysis section a first upper transition radius of curvature contacting a first transition planar deviation point upper is at least 0.025″;
- a second analysis section exists in the controlled curvature region between the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane, and the second analysis section includes the bore longitudinal axis and is different than the first analysis section, wherein within the second analysis section a second upper transition radius of curvature contacting a second transition planar deviation point upper is at least 0.025″;
- and
- wherein the first upper transition radius of curvature is not equal to the second upper transition radius of curvature, and the CCR angle is 60 degrees or less.
17 more elements
A nut, comprising:
- a nut proximal end, a nut distal end, and a nut length between the nut proximal end and the nut distal end;
- a nut bore extending into the nut from the nut distal end and defining the bore longitudinal axis, with the nut bore having a nut bore proximal end, a nut bore distal end, a nut bore length, defined as the distance between the nut bore proximal end and the nut bore distal end, and a nut bore width;
- a nut bore thread located within at least a portion of the nut bore and having a NBT crest, a NBT root, and a NBT root wall thickness;
- a nut tool engagement area having a NTE length, measured parallel to the bore longitudinal axis, that varies from a NTE maximum length to a NTE minimum length, a NTE maximum width, a NTE minimum width, and a plurality of NTE planar surfaces;
- a nut flange having:
- a nut flange proximal end at the intersection with the NTE planar surface, a nut flange distal end, a nut flange length between the nut flange proximal end and the nut flange distal end, and a nut flange width;
- a nut flange seat having a NFS proximal end, a NFS distal end, a NFS length between the NFS proximal end and the NFS distal end, and a NFS width;
- and
- a nut transition area having a transition length that varies from a maximum transition length to a minimum transition length, wherein the maximum transition length is 25-125% greater than the minimum transition length, and the minimum transition length is at least 7.5% of the nut length;
- a nut locking helix located in the nut bore and engaging a portion of the nut bore thread, and having a nut locking helix proximal end, a nut locking helix distal end, a nut locking helix length between the nut locking helix proximal end and the nut locking helix distal end, wherein the nut locking helix length is 50-100% of the nut length, and at least one full rotation of a full coil of the nut locking helix is located within the nut transition area;
- wherein within a first plane containing the bore longitudinal axis and the location of the maximum transition length, (a) the NBT root wall thickness increases from a first NBT root wall thickness in the nut tool engagement area to a second NBT root wall thickness at a midpoint of the maximum transition length, and the second NBT root wall thickness is no more than 3.0 times the first NBT root wall thickness, and (b) a transition surface of the nut transition area between the nut tool engagement area and the second NBT root wall thickness is concave outward;
- and
- wherein a controlled curvature region exists within the nut transition area and is located between a CCR sinistral edge plane and a CCR dextral edge plane, wherein:
- the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane both contain the bore longitudinal axis and intersect at the bore longitudinal axis with a CCR angle between the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane;
- a plurality of transition planar deviation points upper are in the controlled curvature region and in contact with the nut tool engagement area representing the points at which the controlled curvature region transitions from one of the plurality of NTE planar surfaces;
- a plurality of transition planar deviation points lower are in the controlled curvature region and in contact with the NFS proximal end representing the points at which the controlled curvature region transitions from a flat surface of the nut flange seat;
- the plurality of transition planar deviation points upper and the plurality of transition planar deviation points lower define an upper vertical boundary and a lower vertical boundary of the transition surface;
- a first analysis section exists in the controlled curvature region between the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane, and the first analysis section includes the bore longitudinal axis, wherein within the first analysis section a first upper transition radius of curvature contacting a first transition planar deviation point upper is at least 0.025″;
- a second analysis section exists in the controlled curvature region between the CCR sinistral edge plane and the CCR dextral edge plane, at least 7.5 degrees from the first analysis section, and the second analysis section includes the bore longitudinal axis and is different than the first analysis section, wherein within the second analysis section a second upper transition radius of curvature contacting a second transition planar deviation point upper is at least 0.025″;
- and
- wherein the first upper transition radius of curvature is not equal to the second upper transition radius of curvature, and the CCR angle is 60 degrees or less.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.