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US 2011/0033259 A1Published application
Vibration-isolating fastening assembly
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorYong Heng Zhou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Herein is disclosed a fastening assembly that may be used for securing first and second workpieces to each other in such manner as to provide vibration isolation between the first and second workpieces. The fastening assembly comprises an elongated, rigid fastener, and an elastomeric bushing, that are integrally secured together.
Claims29
A fastening assembly for securing together first and second workpieces while maintaining vibration-isolation between the workpieces, comprising:
- an axially elongated, rigid fastener comprising a radially enlarged head that comprises a flange extending radially outward therefrom and a shank extending axially therefrom, wherein at least a portion of the shank comprises a fastening means;
- an elastomeric bushing that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the elongated fastener and that has a cylindrical axis that is generally aligned with the long axis of the elongated fastener, the bushing comprising a radially enlarged head that at least partially encapsulates the flange of the fastener head so as to integrally secure the bushing and the fastener together;
- wherein the bushing includes at least two axially-extending, circumferentially-spaced, deflectable tabs, each tab comprising a tab head at a terminal end of the tab and a tab neck that is substantially radially thinner than the tab head and that is axially located between the tab head and the enlarged head of the bushing;
- and wherein by bending at the tab neck, each tab can be deflected at least from a first, axially extended position to a second, partially curled position in which the tab head is motivated axially toward the radially enlarged head of the bushing.
1 more element
A method of securing first and second workpieces together in such a manner as to provide vibration isolation between the workpieces, the method comprising:
- providing first and second workpieces that are spaced apart from each other and that have aligned openings therein;
- providing a fastening assembly comprising:
- an axially elongated, rigid fastener comprising a radially enlarged head that comprises a flange extending radially outward therefrom and a shank extending axially therefrom, wherein at least a portion of the shank comprises a fastening means;
- an elastomeric bushing that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the elongated fastener and that has a cylindrical axis that is generally aligned with the long axis of the elongated fastener, the bushing comprising a radially enlarged head that at least partially encapsulates the flange of the fastener head so as to integrally secure the bushing and the fastener together;
- wherein the bushing includes at least two axially-extending, circumferentially-spaced, deflectable tabs, each tab comprising a tab head at a terminal end of the tab and a tab neck that is substantially radially thinner than the tab head and that is axially located between the tab head and the enlarged head of the bushing;
- passing at least the portion of the shank of the elongated fastener that comprises the fastening means, and at least the tab heads of the bushing, through an opening in the second workpiece;
- and,
- fastening the fastening means of the fastener shank to the first workpiece,
- thereby causing the two workpieces to be drawn nearer to each other and causing the terminal end of each bushing tab to contact a surface of the first workpiece adjacent the opening in the first workpiece thus causing each tab to bend at the tab neck causing each tab to be deflected from a first, axially extended position to a second, partially curled position in which the tab head is motivated axially toward the radially enlarged head of the bushing, and causing the second workpiece to be securely held between the tab heads of the bushing and the enlarged head of the bushing.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.