Mounting element

#The present invention concerns a mounting element comprising a means of fastening such as a nut or a bolt. The present invention concerns also a means of manufacturing a mounting element and a usage.

#In connection with the use of a means of fastening such as nuts and bolts, other components such as washers are often also used to provide an enhanced securement of the means of fastening. The present invention is aimed at the type of mounting element that includes a means of fastening such as a nut or bolt that utilises an upper and a lower washer. The washers form a pair, where each washer has one side with tags on that are used facing each other. Each tagged side fits against the tagged side of the corresponding washer. The other side of each washer is principally flat. The means of fastening has also a principally flat side arranged against the principally flat and smooth upper side of the upper washer, which faces the said side of the means of fastening. This known form of mounting element provides a very secure and reliable means of locking, which minimises deformation of the surface it is intended to be locked against. An example of this type of mounting element comprising specially designed components is a cam actuated lock nut comprising a flange nut with pair of washers as described above. The cam actuated locking function is achieved when the nut slides against the washer closest below it when tightened. The bottom washer located closest to the surface should cause as little deformation of the surface as possible while achieving maximum locking effect. For releasing, the washer immediately under the nut slides over the tags on the bottom washer since there is least friction between the two. The difference in pitch between the tags and the thread provide an increase in tension when unscrewing. The nut will not tend to come loose when exerted to vibration as this is counteracted by the tension in the screwed union. The pitch of the tags varies depending on the pitch of the thread for which the washers are intended to be used and their shape can also vary. If washers are fitted incorrectly or turned the wrong way round, or if the wrong washers are used, this will cause the cam actuated locking function to fail so that the nut can easily come loose if e.g. exerted to vibration. Control of the tension will also be lost.

#Nuts comprising two parts, nut and washer, are already known. The nut has tags that fit the tags on the washer. This is another type of cam actuated lock nut where the nut is made with cams. The nut bottoms against the washer on tightening and the washer rotates against the surface, which will deform the surface if the washer is toothed. Without teeth on the washer, there is a risk that friction when unscrewing is lowest between the surface and the washer. This means that the cam actuated locking will not work and the nut can come loose if exerted to vibration.

#The invention will now be described in detail in the form of a non-limiting embodiment according to the present invention, illustrated with the help of the enclosed figures, where

#FIG. 1 is the side view of a mounting element according to prior art.

#FIG. 2 is the side view of a mounting element according to the present invention.

#FIG. 1 shows a mounting element 2 according to prior art comprising a washer 6 closest to a nut 4. The nut 4 and the upper washer 6 both have cams facing each other. The washer 6 has cams on both sides with a lower washer 8 with cams on one side facing the upper washer 6. When tightening, the washer 6 slides over the cams on washer 8. In case of vibration, washer 6 and nut 4 can rotate on washer 8 if the friction between the upper washer and the lower washer is less than the friction between the nut and the upper washer. This will reduce the tension.

#FIG. 2 shows a mounting element 10 according to the present invention comprising a means of fastening 12, here shown in the form of a flange nut, an upper washer 14 and a lower washer 16, which both constitute a pair of washers. Each washer 14, 16 has one side with cams 18, 20 and one principally flat side 22, 24, the washer sides with cams being arranged facing each other. The means of fastening 12 comprises one principally flat side 26 arranged against the principally flat tipper side 22 of the upper washer 14. The said mounting element 10 also includes at least one means of containment 28, here in the form of a sleeve arranged around the circumference of components 12, 14, 16, the sleeve of which is arranged to keep together the means of fastening 12 and the pair of washers 14, 16. The sleeve 28 is arranged freely and loosely on the means of fastening 12 and the pair of washers 14, 16. The sleeve can consequently move independently to the movement of the means of fastening or pair of washers. Between an upper flange 30 and a lower flange 32 of the sleeve 28 is an air gap, whereby the sleeve is consequently arranged on the mounting element with a certain free play 34. This free play can vary a few tenths of a millimetre in size. The free play of the sleeve, however, is always the same or greater than the height of the cams on the washers 14, 16. The free play should preferably be within the range of approximately 0.1 mm up to approximately 0.8 mm. Furthermore, the lower washer 16 includes a shoulder 36, the surface of which is intended to be arranged in contact with a surface 38. The shoulder 24 extends to a point close to the sides of washer 16, which exhibits a collar 40. The lower flange 32 of the sleeve 28 is arranged to be bent around the edge of this collar on washer 16. Correspondingly, the upper flange 30 of the sleeve 28 is arranged to be bent around a flange 42 on the means of fastening. This means that the sleeve keeps together the mounting element at the same time as it is loosely fitted. The sleeve flange 32 is arranged in the collar 40 of the washer 16. The sleeve flange 32 is in that respect the same thickness or thinner than the shoulder 36 on the lower washer 16, whereby an air gap 43 can be formed between the lower flange 32 and the surface 38 when fitting the mounting element.

#FIG. 3A shows the mounting element 50 comprising a flange nut 52 and a sleeve 54. A pair of washers is arranged inside the sleeve. The lower washer has a shoulder 56 extending down below the bottom edge of the sleeve. This shoulder 56 is intended to make contact with and be arranged against the surface 58 on which the mounting element is to be locked. FIG. 3B shows the flange nut 52 from FIG. 3A with its flange 60. The bottom 61 is principally flat. FIG. 3C shows a cross section of the nut according to FIG. 3B. FIG. 3D shows a cross section of the sleeve 54 from FIG. 3A. The sleeve has an upper flange 62, which rests on the flange 60 of the nut and a lower flange 64. The upper part 66 of the sleeve has a slightly smaller circumference than the lower part 68, whereby the section between them forms a collar 70. FIG. 3E shows the plan view of the sleeve 54. FIG. 3F shows the nut 52 from FIG. 3B viewed from above. FIG. 3G shows a plan view of the lower washer 72, of which the cams 74 are arranged on the top side 73. FIG. 3H shows an inverse plan view of the bottom 76 of washer 72, which is to be arranged against the surface to which the mounting element is to be locked. The bottom 76 includes protrusions 78, here in the form of continuous ridges. The bottom is also designed with a shoulder 56 extending down below the bottom edge of the sleeve. Close to the outer edges of the washer, between the bottom 76 and the top 73, the shoulder turns into a flange 80 as exhibited in FIG. 3I in a cross-section viewed from the side. FIG. 3J and FIG. 3K shows plane views of the upper washer 82, FIG. 3J the top 84 with its protrusions 86 and FIG. 3K the bottom 88 with cams 90. FIG. 3L shows a side view of the upper washer.