# US 12,760,760 B2 · Pawl nut with securing element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,760,760 B2 - Document ID: US12760760B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/701,154 - Filed: 2022-09-22 - Published: 2025-01-02 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-15 - Assignees: Sf Handels- Und Besitzgesellschaft Mbh - Applicants: Sf Handels-Und Besitzgesellschaft Mbh - Inventors: Hartmut Flaig; Jürgen Müller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760760B2 ## CPC - F16B 39/32: Locking by means of a pawl or pawl-like tongue - F16B 39/22: in which the locking takes place during screwing down or tightening (F16B39/01 takes precedence) - F16B 39/26: with spring washers fastened to the nut or bolt-head - 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) ## Abstract The invention relates to a pawl nut (10) having a securing element (18) for axially securing a topper element (12) of a shaft (14), in particular a bearing of a gear shaft or a wheel shaft of a Cardan shaft, the pawl nut (10) being screwed on a, in particular frontal, thread-shaft section (16) of the shaft (14) in a tightening direction (D1) in order to axially brace the topper element (12) on the shaft (14) along a screwing axis (S) in the mounted state, the securing element (18) having an engagement section (22) which engages in a recess (24) of the shaft (14) and holds the pawl nut (10) along a loosening direction (D2) in the mounted state. In this context, the pawl nut (10) mounts the securing element (18) along the screwing axis (S), the pawl nut (10) being twisted on one side along the tightening direction (D1) in relation to the securing element (18). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pawl nut (10) having a securing element (18) as an axial securing mechanism for a topper element (12) of a shaft (14), the pawl nut (10) being screwed on a thread-shaft section (16) of the shaft (14) in a tightening direction (D1) in order to axially brace the topper element (12) on the shaft (14) along a screwing axis (S) in the mounted state, the securing element (18) having an engagement section (22) which engages in a recess (24) of the shaft (14) and holds the pawl nut (10) along a loosening direction (D2) in the mounted state, wherein the pawl nut (10) mounts the securing element (18) along the screwing axis (S), the pawl nut (10) being twisted in one direction along the tightening direction (D1) in relation to the securing element (18), the pawl nut (10) together with securing the element (18) forming pawl indentations (20a, 20b), which mutually engage along the loosening direction (D2), in the radial direction and the securing element (18) being inserted in the pawl nut (10) and its pawl indentations (20a) along the screwing axis (S), wherein the securing element (18) is formed as a securing ring which is open in the circumferential direction and is elastically deformable in such manner in one direction along the tightening direction (D1) that the pawl nut (10) is rotatable along the tightening direction (D1) in relation to the securing element (18). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pawl nut according to claim 1, wherein the engagement section (22) is formed to interact with the recess (24) in the shaft (14) in such a manner that a gap (34) is formed between the engagement section (22) and the recess (24) in the radial direction to allow a deformation of the securing element (18) in the radial direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pawl nut according to claim 1, wherein the engagement section (22) together with the recess (24) forms a spring-and-groove connection in the mounted state of the pawl nut (10) such that the engagement section (22) breaks off when the pawl nut (10) is subjected to increased torque along the loosening direction (D2). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pawl nut according to claim 1, wherein the securing element (18) is moveable in a guide section along the screwing direction(S) to alleviate an engagement of the engagement section (22) into the recess (24), the radial pawl indentations (20a, 20b) having a minimum contact pressure to prevent an indentation loss. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The pawl nut according to claim 2, wherein the pawl indentation (20a) of the pawl nut (10) and/or the pawl indentation (20b) of the securing element (18) have asymmetrical indentation flanks (21a, 21b) which are aligned in such a manner that first flat indentation flanks (21a) abut against each other along the tightening direction (D1), and second steep indentation flanks (21b) abutting against each other along the loosening direction (D2) in order to interlock the pawl nut (10) with the securing element (18) in one direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pawl nut according to claim 5, wherein the first flat indentation flank (21a) has a radius of 4 mm to 6 mm, and/or a flank height (F), of a straight first flat indentation flank (21a), of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm in the radial direction and/or wherein the second steep indentation flank (21b) has a radius of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The pawl nut according to claim 2, wherein the pawl indentation (20a, 20b) has indentations in 15° angle sections in the circumferential direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pawl nut according to claim 1, wherein the pawl nut (10) mounts the securing element (18) in an interior radial slot (30), the pawl nut (10) having a frontal deforming section (32), which holds the securing element (18) along the screwing axis (S) in the deformed state, adjacent to the slot (30). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pawl nut according to claim 1, wherein the pawl nut (10) mounts a freely rotatable sliding disk along the screwing axis (S) for abutting against the topper element (12) in order to reduce a friction coefficient between the pawl nut and the topper element (12) in the mounted state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pawl nut according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is a gear shaft or a wheel bearing of a Cardan shaft, and wherein the pawl nut is screwed on a frontal, thread-shaft section (16) of the shaft (A). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pawl nut according to claim 1, wherein the pawl nut (10) is rotatable along the tightening direction (D1) in relation to the securing element (18) in a sliding manner. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The pawl nut according to claim 5, wherein the asymmetrical indentation flanks (21a, 21b) which are aligned in such a manner that the first flat indentation flanks (21a) abut against each other along the tightening direction (D1) to ensure a one-directional sliding of the pawl nut (10) and an elastic deformation of the securing element (18). ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The pawl nut according to claim 6, wherein the radius is 5 mm, the flank height (F) is 1 mm, and/or the radius of the second steep indentation flank (21b) is 0.5 mm to 0.75 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The pawl nut according to claim 7, wherein the pawl indentation (20a, 20b) has between 22 and 26 indentations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The pawl nut according to claim 7, wherein the pawl indentation (20a, 20b) has 24 indentations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The pawl nut according to claim 9, wherein the pawl nut (10) mounts the freely rotatable sliding disk in a form-filled mounting. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A shaft having at least one pawl nut (10) having a securing element (18) according to claim 1, the at least one pawl nut being screwed onto at least one thread-shaft section (16) of the shaft and the shaft forming at least one recess along the screwing axis (S), the securing element engaging into the recess with at least one engagement section in order to hold the at least one pawl nut (10) on the shaft (14) along a loosening direction (D1) and to brace a topper element (12) on the shaft (14). ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The shaft according to claim 17, wherein the at least one recess is in the form of a longitudinal groove.