Assembly improving, low mass, fastener head
AssigneeMathread Inc.
InventorMichael Garver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly improving, lower mass fastener head that is easier to handle and reduces the amount of material that is required in manufacturing the fastener comprises three lugs at multiples of 60 degrees around an axis of a threaded body. Those portions of a hex head that are not necessary for application and transmission of torque, nor necessary to resist axial loading, nor necessary to axially stabilize the fastener head within current driving tooling may be removed. Compatibility with existing hex head tools is maintained while improving handling of the fastener by an assembler and reducing material used in the fastener head.
Claims17
A fastener, comprising:
- a threaded shank having a central longitudinal axis and defining a pitch diameter extending through the central longitudinal axis;
- exactly three lugs extending from and positioned on an end of the threaded shank at approximately 0, 120 and 240 degrees around the central longitudinal axis of the threaded shank, wherein each of the lugs comprises:
- structural ribs;
- and
- a radially-outward end portion comprising:
- a tightening surface;
- and
- a loosening surface;
- wherein the tightening surface and loosening surface are angularly offset from each other and meet at a corner;
- and
- wherein the tightening and loosening surfaces are adapted to be driven by a rotation of a hex head tool in a tightening rotational direction and a loosening rotational direction, respectively;
- and
- three concave surfaces, wherein each concave surface extends between adjacent pairs of the three lugs, respectively, and wherein the concave surfaces do not extend closer to the central longitudinal axis than the pitch diameter.
A fastener, comprising:
- a threaded shank having a longitudinal axis;
- a head at one end of the threaded shank and comprising:
- exactly three lugs positioned at approximately 0, 120 and 240 degrees around the longitudinal axis or the threaded shank, wherein each of the lugs comprises:
- a radially-outward end comprising:
- a tightening surface;
- and
- a loosening surface;
- wherein the tightening surface and loosening surface are angularly offset from each other and meet at a corner;
- and
- wherein the tightening and loosening surfaces are adapted to be driven by a rotation of a hex head tool in a tightening rotational direction and a loosening rotational direction, respectively;
- and
- wherein for each tightening and loosening surface, a width of the surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis remains constant along a direction of the longitudinal axis, and a height of the surface in the direction of the longitudinal axis is greater than the width of the surface in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
- sidewall surfaces extending between each adjacent pair of lugs;
- and
- a platform located between the head and the threaded shank and having an upper surface from which the lugs and sidewall surfaces extend, wherein the lugs and sidewall surfaces define a tri-lobular perimeter on the upper surface of the platform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.