Elastomeric Retaining Devices For Joining Elements
AssigneeRtodds Engineering, LLC
InventorR. Todd Swinderman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Elastomeric joining element retaining devices are disclosed. In an aspect, a retaining device is disclosed which is constructed from an elastomeric material such as polyurethane and designed to receive and align an assembly or “stack-up” of nuts, bolts, washers, and/or other joining elements. The retaining device retains and aligns the assembly, enabling a user to install the assembly accurately without dropping or misaligning portions of the assembly. Such retaining devices ease the process of installing or removing joining elements in hard to reach locations.
Claims29
A joining element retaining device for retaining an assembly of a plurality of joining elements removably accommodated therein, the joining element retaining device comprising:
- an elastomeric body, comprising:
- a body first end portion;
- a body second end portion spaced apart from the body first end portion, defining a body length;
- and
- at least one cavity positioned within the elastomeric body and opening at the elastomeric body first end portion, configured to retain and align an assembly of a plurality of joining elements along a central attachment axis parallel to the body length, the assembly of the plurality of joining elements being retained and aligned by the elastomeric body at an outer surface of each of the plurality of joining elements.
A joining element retaining device configured to retain an assembly of joining elements comprising a fastener, a nut and a washer, the fastener being threaded through the nut and the washer and having a fastener head and a fastener shank, the fastener retaining device comprising:
- a cylindrical fastener body constructed of an elastomeric material comprising an open first end portion, the fastener body generally surrounding an insertion axis, the fastener body comprising:
- a washer cavity centered around the insertion axis for removably accommodating the washer therein, the washer cavity recessed in the fastener body at the open first end portion;
- a nut cavity centered around the insertion axis for removably accommodating the nut therein, the nut cavity adjoining the washer cavity;
- and
- a fastener head cavity centered around the insertion axis for removably accommodating the fastener head therein, the fastener head cavity adjoining the nut cavity opposite the washer cavity, the fastener shank extending through the nut cavity and the washer cavity and extending beyond the first end portion when the fastener head cavity removably accommodates the fastener head therein;
- wherein the fastener body removably accommodates the assembly as the assembly engages an insertion location.
A joining element retaining device for retaining at least one joining element removably accommodated therein, the joining element retaining device comprising:
- an elastomeric body, comprising:
- a body first end portion;
- a body second end portion spaced apart from the body first end portion, defining a body length;
- and
- at least one cavity positioned within the elastomeric body and opening at the elastomeric body first end portion, configured to retain and align at least one joining element along a central attachment axis, the at least one joining element being retained and aligned by the elastomeric body via contact at an outer surface of each of the at least one joining elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.