Lobed drive for hi-lite fastener

A drive socket for a fastener which is driven by a hex-key driver, comprising:

• three rounded lobes of substantially equal radius positioned about a center of the fastener, the lobes being located substantially equidistant from the center and approximately 120° apart from each other, each of the lobes projecting inward toward the center of the fastener, the lobes being positioned to provide a first clearance of approximately 0.04 mm (0.0015 inch) between an apex of each of the lobes and corresponding surfaces on a hex-key driver inserted into the drive socket;
• three flat surfaces positioned about the center of the fastener, each flat surface being located substantially opposite one of the lobes and substantially equidistant from the center of the fastener, the flat surfaces being positioned to provide a second clearance of approximately 0.10 mm (0.0038 inch) between the flat surfaces and corresponding surfaces on the hex-key driver inserted into the drive socket;
• and
• recesses located between the lobes and the flat surfaces, each of the recesses forming a substantially smooth transition between a lobe and a flat surface, the recesses being sized to provide sufficient clearance such that the corners of a hex-key driver inserted into the drive socket do not contact a wall of the drive socket.

A drive socket for a fastener which is driven by a hex-key driver, comprising:

• a first set of three lobes of substantially equal radius positioned about a center of the fastener, the lobes within the first set being substantially equidistant from the center of the fastener and approximately 120° apart from each other, each of the lobes of the first set including a flat surface which is located adjacent and substantially tangential to the radius portion of the lobe;
• a second set of three lobes of substantially equal radius positioned about the center of the fastener, the lobes within the second set being substantially equidistant from the center of the fastener, approximately 120° apart from each other and approximately 60° apart from the lobes of the first set;
• and
• recesses located between the lobes of the first set and the lobes of the second set.

A drive socket for a fastener which is driven by a hex-key driver, comprising:

• a first set of three lobes of substantially equal radius positioned about a center of the fastener, the lobes within the first set being substantially equidistant from the center of the fastener and approximately 120° apart from each other, each of the lobes of the first set including a flat surface which is located adjacent and substantially tangential to the radius portion of the lobe, the flat surfaces of the lobes of the first set being positioned substantially 120° apart from each other, each of the lobes of the first set projecting inward toward the center of the fastener, the lobes of the first set being positioned to provide a clearance of approximately 0.04 mm (0.0015 inch) between an apex of each of the lobes of the first set and corresponding surfaces on a hex-key driver inserted into the drive socket;
• a second set of three lobes of substantially equal radius positioned about the center of the fastener, the lobes within the second set being substantially equidistant from the center of the fastener and approximately 120° apart from each other and approximately 60° apart from the lobes of the first set, each of the lobes of the second set projecting inward toward the center of the fastener, the lobes of the second set being positioned to provide a clearance of approximately 0.04 mm (0.0015 inch) between an apex of each of the lobes of the second set and corresponding surfaces on a hex-key driver inserted into the drive socket;
• and
• recesses located between the lobes of the first set and the lobes of the second set, each of the recesses forming a substantially smooth transition between a lobe of the first set and a lobe of the second set, the recesses being sized to provide sufficient clearance such that the corners of a hex-key driver inserted into the drive socket do not contact a wall of the drive socket.