Fastening devices, systems, and methods
AssigneeRTG Scientific, LLC
InventorsMary SINNOTT, Andrew FAUTH
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compression fastener may include a shaft and a helical thread disposed about the shaft. The shaft may include a proximal end, a distal end, a proximal shaft portion, and a distal shaft portion. The helical thread may include at least one concave undercut surface and a plurality of pitches that may include at least one first pitch along the proximal shaft portion and at least one second pitch along the distal shaft portion. The at least one concave undercut surface may be angled towards one of the proximal end and the distal end of the shaft, and the at least one first pitch and the at least one second pitch may not be equal to each other.
Claims21
A method for fabricating a compression fastener comprising:
- placing a first cutting tool at a proximal shaft portion of a substantially cylindrical substrate;
- rotating the substantially cylindrical substrate and translating the first cutting tool along the proximal shaft portion to form a fourth open surface of a first helical thread disposed about the proximal shaft portion, the first helical thread having a first pitch and a first height;
- placing the first cutting tool at a distal shaft portion of the substantially cylindrical substrate;
- rotating the substantially cylindrical substrate and translating the first cutting tool along the distal shaft portion to form a fourth open surface of a second helical thread disposed about the distal shaft portion, the second helical thread having a second pitch and a second height;
- placing a second cutting tool at the proximal shaft portion of the substantially cylindrical substrate;
- rotating the substantially cylindrical substrate and translating the second cutting tool along the proximal shaft portion to form a first undercut surface and a second undercut surface of the first helical thread;
- placing the second cutting tool at the distal shaft portion of the substantially cylindrical substrate;
- rotating the substantially cylindrical substrate and translating the second cutting tool along the distal shaft portion to form a first undercut surface and a second undercut surface of the second helical thread;
- placing a third cutting tool at the proximal shaft portion of the substantially cylindrical substrate;
- rotating the substantially cylindrical substrate and translating the third cutting tool along the proximal shaft portion to form a third undercut surface of the first helical thread;
- placing the third cutting tool at the distal shaft portion of the substantially cylindrical substrate;
- and
- rotating the substantially cylindrical substrate and translating the third cutting tool along the distal shaft portion to form a third undercut surface of the second helical thread,
- wherein:
- the first pitch of the first helical thread is not equal to the second pitch of the second helical thread;
- and
- the first height of the first helical thread is not equal to the second height of the second helical thread.
A method for fabricating a compression fastener comprising:
- forming a first helical thread disposed about a proximal shaft portion of a substantially cylindrical substrate, the first helical thread comprising:
- a first inboard portion projecting from the substantially cylindrical substrate at a first height;
- and
- an outboard portion extending from the first inboard portion, the outboard portion projecting from the substantially cylindrical substrate at a second height that is greater than the first height;
- and
- forming a second helical thread disposed about a distal shaft portion of the substantially cylindrical substrate, the second helical thread comprising:
- a second inboard portion projecting from the substantially cylindrical substrate at a third height,
- wherein:
- the second height of the outboard portion is greater than the third height of the second inboard portion;
- and
- the third height of the second inboard portion is equal to the first height of the first inboard portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.