Dual torque and injection molding device
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsChristopher William Coyne, Samuel Jeffrey Tomlinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool for driving a threaded fastener includes a driver head, a motor, and an injector. The driver head includes a spindle rotatable about an axis. A distal end of the spindle defines a plurality of drive surfaces configured to engage mating drive surfaces on the fastener to rotate the fastener about the axis. The driver head defines a fluid passage having an outlet proximate to the distal end of the spindle. The motor is drivingly coupled to the spindle to rotate the spindle about the axis. The injector is coupled to an inlet of the fluid passage and configured to feed a liquid insulator through the fluid passage.
Claims20
A tool for driving a threaded fastener, the tool comprising:
- a driver head comprising a spindle rotatable about an axis, a distal end of the spindle defining a plurality of drive surfaces configured to engage mating drive surfaces on the fastener to rotate the fastener about the axis, the driver head defining a fluid passage having an outlet proximate to the distal end of the spindle;
- a motor drivingly coupled to the spindle to rotate the spindle about the axis;
- and
- an injector coupled to an inlet of the fluid passage and configured to feed a liquid insulator through the fluid passage.
A tool for driving a threaded fastener, the tool comprising:
- a driver head defining an injection mold cavity and a fluid conduit, the driver head including a fastener engagement portion configured to engage a tool engagement portion of the fastener, the fastener engagement portion and the mold cavity being coaxially disposed about an axis, an outlet of the fluid conduit being open to the mold cavity, and the mold cavity configured to surround the tool engagement portion of the fastener;
- and
- a motor drivingly coupled to the fastener engagement portion to rotate the fastener engagement portion about the axis.
A method of installing a threaded fastener, the method comprising:
- aligning a driver head of a tool coaxially with the fastener;
- tightening the fastener by rotating a spindle of the driver head to engage and rotate a tool engagement portion of the fastener until the fastener is in an installed state;
- and
- encapsulating at least the tool engagement portion of the fastener by ejecting a liquid insulator from the driver head onto the installed fastener and allowing the insulator to solidify and form an electrically insulating cap around at least the tool engagement portion of the fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.