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US 5,356,255 AGranted
Nut and panel assembly and method of forming same
AssigneeMultifastener Corporation
InventorsTakao Takahashi, Hiroshi Takehara
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMultifastener Corporation
InventorsTakao Takahashi, Hiroshi Takehara
Estimating the term…
A nut and panel assembly useful for pierce, clinch and weld nuts used in automotive applications, wherein the nut bore must be masked or blocked during paint application, including electrodeposition coatings. A generally cylindrical polymeric plug or blocking member is press fitted into the nut bore preferably prior to attaching the nut to the metal panel. Following installation of the nut in the panel, the plug masks the nut bore during the later coating operation. The disclosed plug or blocking member includes an axial configured cavity and the plug may then be removed following coating by threading a bolt having an end protuberance configured to be received in the plug axial cavity into the nut bore. The plug is then retained on the bolt protuberance following removal from the threaded bore.
A nut and metal panel assembly, said nut attached to said panel and having a threaded bore extending therethrough, a resilient non-metallic plug located in said bore having a normal outside diameter greater than a minor crest diameter of said threaded bore and retained in said threaded bore by said thread, said plug being slightly conical having a smaller diameter at one end which is first received in said nut bore and an axial length generally equal to an axial length of said threaded bore and masking said threaded bore during subsequent coating of said nut and panel assembly.
A nut and metal panel assembly, said nut permanently attached to said panel adjacent its periphery and said nut having an axial threaded bore therethrough, a generally cylindrical resilient, heat resistant and electrically insulating polymeric plug located in said bore, said plug having a normal outside diameter greater than a crest diameter of said threaded bore and said threaded bore resiliently and releaseably retaining said plug in said bore and said polymeric plug having an axial length generally equal to an axial length of said bore, said plug masking said threaded bore during subsequent coating of said nut and panel assembly.
A fastener and panel assembly, said fastener permanently attached to said panel and having a female threaded bore, a plastic plug located within said bore having a generally cylindrical exterior surface deformed into the threads of said female threaded bore forming an interference fit between said exterior surface and said threads releasably retaining said plug in said bore and sealing said bore, and said plastic plug having a generally axial cavity opening through one end of said plug.
A method of forming a nut and panel assembly, said nut having an axial threaded bore therethrough having a resilient polymeric plug therein, said plug having a normal outside diameter greater than an inside crest diameter of said threaded bore, said method comprising the following steps performed in sequence:
A method of forming a nut and metal panel assembly, said nut having an axial threaded bore therethrough, said method comprising the following steps, performed in sequence:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.