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US 7,066,700 B2Granted
Self-attaching fastener and method of attachment
AssigneeWhitesell International Corporation
InventorsRichard P. Ward, Harold T. Woods, John J. Vrana, John M. Parker, Kerry V. Boggs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-attaching fastener including a central pilot, an annular flange surrounding the pilot including an annular groove having bottom, inner and outer side walls, wherein the bottom wall includes a first plurality of spaced anti-rotation elements each having a radial top face inclined above the bottom wall and a second plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-rotation elements each having a radial top face oppositely inclined below the bottom wall and a method of attachment which avoids distortion of the thread cylinder of a female fastener.
Claims20
A self-attaching fastener, comprising:
- a central pilot portion;
- an annular flange portion surrounding said pilot portion having a planar end face;
- and
- an annular groove in said end face of said flange portion surrounding said pilot portion including a bottom wall, an inner side wall surrounding said pilot portion and an opposed outer side wall, one of said inner and outer side walls of said annular groove inclined toward the other of said inner and outer side walls to define a restricted opening of said annular groove adjacent said end face of said flange portion;
- said bottom wall of said annular groove including a first plurality of circumferentially spaced radial ant-rotation elements each having a planar radially extending top face spaced above a plane of said bottom wall of said annular groove and a second plurality of circumferentially spaced radial anti-rotation elements each having a planar radially extending top face spaced below said plane of said bottom wall of said annular groove, each of said anti-rotation elements extending from one of said inner side wall and said outer side wall to a location spaced from the other of said inner side wall and said outer side wall.
2 more elements
A self-attaching fastener, comprising:
- a central pilot portion;
- an annular flange portion surrounding said pilot portion having a planar end face;
- and
- an annular groove in said end face of said flange portion surrounding said pilot portion including a planar bottom wall, an inner side wall surrounding said pilot portion and an opposed outer side wall, one of said inner and outer side walls of said annular groove inclined toward the other of said inner and outer side walls to define a restricted opening of said annular groove adjacent said end face of said flange portion;
- said planar bottom wail of said annular groove having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial anti-rotation elements including a first plurality of circumferentially spaced radial anti-rotation elements each having a planar radially extending top face inclined radially upwardly from said bottom wall of said annular groove toward said one of said inner and outer side walls of said annular groove having an end surface spaced above said planar bottom wall and a second plurality of circumferentially spaced radial anti-rotation elements each having a planar radially extending top face inclined radially downwardly from said bottom wall toward the other of said one of said inner and outer side walls of said annular groove each having an end surface spaced below said bottom wall of said annular groove.
2 more elements
A female self-attaching fastener, comprising:
- a central pilot portion having an end face and a bore through said end face extending through said pilot portion;
- an annular flange portion surrounding said pilot portion having a planar end face;
- and
- an angular groove in said end face of said flange portion surrounding said pilot portion including a planar bottom wall, an inner side wall surrounding said pilot portion and an opposed outer side wall, one of said inner and outer side walls inclined toward the other of said inner and outer side walls to define a restricted opening of said annular groove at said end face of said flange portion;
- said bottom wall of said annular groove including a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial anti-rotation elements, including a first plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-rotation elements each having a radial top face inclined upwardly from said bottom wall of said annular groove to said outer wall having a radial end surface at said outer wall spaced above said bottom wall of said annular groove, and a second plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-rotation elements each having a radial top face inclined downwardly from said bottom wall of said annular groove toward said inner side wall of said annular groove having a radial end surface spaced below said bottom wall of said annular groove, with said first and second anti-rotational elements alternating circumferentially, such that one of said first plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-rotation elements is located between two of said second plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-rotation elements.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.