USPTO Fastener Industry Patents from October

Compiled from: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Thread Forming and Thread Locking Fastener
United States Patent 11,125,262
Issued September 21, 2021
Inventors: Edmund A. Hebert, Mattapoisett, MA, USA; Kennth J. Gomes, Portsmouth, RI, USA; Dennis O.
Boyer, Lake Worth, FL, USA; John R. Reynolds, South Dartmouth, MA, USA; and Bobby L. Budziszek, Middletown, RI, USA
Assignee: Research Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc., Middletown, RI, USA
A combined thread forming and thread locking fastener is disclosed. A fastener includes three thread zones. A first thread zone utilizes a first thread forming thread profile with an increasing outer diameter. A second thread zone extends from the end of the first zone utilizing the first thread forming thread profile and continues with a constant diameter. The third thread zone utilizes a thread locking thread profile continuing along substantially the remainder of the shaft of a fastener.

Rivet Fastener Assemblies
United States Patent 11,125,261
Issued September 21, 2021
Inventors: Joel R. Lee, Peotone, IL, Usual and Mark O. Lepper, Oak Park, IL, USA
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, USA
A rivet fastener assembly is configured to securely clamp onto one or more components. The rivet fastener assembly includes a grommet including a collar and a column extending from the collar. A passage is defined through the collar and the column. The column includes component-engaging legs that are configured to fold and directly contact the component(s) when folded, and reinforcing legs that are configured to fold and reinforce the component-engaging legs when folded as the component-engaging legs directly contact the components).

Threaded Fastener Having a Thread Crest Freater than its Thread Root and V Angles on the Crest and Root
United States Patent 11,111,947
Issued September 7, 2021
Inventor: Gary Jack Reed, Turlock, CA, USA
Assignee: LOCK-N-STITCH, INC., Turlock, CA, USA
An interlocking thread with a tooth cross- section that is wider at its crest than at its root and with “V” angles located both along the crest and the root which tightens into a tapped hole that has a similar thread cross-section.

Grooved Nut for Blind Fastening, Rivet and Assembly Comprising Such a Nut
United States Patent 11,111,943
Issue September 7, 2021
Inventors: Loic Meiffre, Conflans Ste-Honorine, France; Guy Pailhories, Villefranche de Rouergue,
France; and Christophe Vandaele, Le Bouscat, France Assignee: LISI Aerospace, Paris, France
A nut (32) for assembling elements of a structure comprises a collar (64) capable of coming into contact with a front face of the structure; a tightening zone having an outer diameter (86) capable of being inserted into a hole of the structure; a deformation zone adjacent to the tightening zone and capable of forming a bulge against a rear face of the structure, opposite the front face; and a tapped portion (65) adjacent to the deformation zone. The nut may include grooving (82) on an outer circumference of at least one part of the deformation zone, a maximum diameter of said grooving (82) being less than or equal to the outer diameter (86) of the tightening zone.

Anti-Burr Threaded Fastener
United States Patent 11,105,362
Issued August 31, 2021
Inventor: Joseph Edward Stager, Vermilion, OH, USA
Assignee: Triangle Fastener Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
A threaded fastener includes an elongated body having a first end and a second end, a first portion comprising a first helical thread, with the first helical thread including a crest, a root and flank portions, and a second, tapered portion including a second helical thread. The second helical thread includes a crest, a root, a leading flank portion and trailing flank portion, with the leading flank portion positioned closer to the second end of the elongated body than the trailing flank portion. A thread angle of the second helical thread is larger than a thread angle of the first helical thread, and the root of the second helical thread includes a root apex formed by the intersection of the trailing flank portion and the leading flank portion.

Screw-Type Fastener
United States Patent 11,105,361
Issued August 31, 2021
Inventors: Farhad Lajewardi, Toronto, CA, USA; Michael K. Falkenstein, Toronto, CA, USA; and Beesham
Mahadeo, Ontario, CA, USA
Assignee: The Hillman Group, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA
A screw includes: a head end, a shank and a tapered end, the head end including a tool engaging part, the head end located at one end of the shank and the tapered end located at an opposite end of the shank, wherein a thread is formed along the shank, the thread begins on the tapered end, extends onto the shank and terminates at a set location short of the head end, the thread being a right-hand thread and having a peripheral edge, at least a first helical portion of the peripheral edge includes a plurality of notches and a second helical portion of the thread lacks any notches, wherein the first helical portion is closer to the tapered end than the second helical portion, wherein the head includes an underside formed by a frustoconical part with a plurality of nibs. The head may also include an outer ledge.

Self-Sealing Fastener and Method of Use
United States Patent 11,098,747
Inventors: Steve Zimmerman, Linden, AL, USA; Scott Drummond, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; and Van T. Walworth, Rockwood, TN, USA
Assignee: SR Systems, LLC, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
A self-sealing fastener for reducing leaks between the self-sealing fastener and a substrate. The self sealing fastener includes a shank that extends longitudinally between a first end and a second end. The shank has an outer surface. The self-sealing fastener also includes a head that extends radially outwardly from the first end of the shank. The head has an underside surface that is adjacent to the first end of the shank and a topside surface opposite the underside surface. A mastic sealant is disposed on at least one of the outer surface of the shank and the underside surface of the head to provide a water-tight seal between the self-sealing fastener and the substrate after the self-sealing fastener is installed in the substrate.

Torque Limiting Fastener
United States Patent 11,098,744
Issued August 24, 2021
Inventors: Carl Russel Tamm, Trussville, AL, USA; and Randy L. Wolf, Trussville, AL, USA
Assignee: Classic Connectors, Inc., Clinton, OH, USA
A torque limiting fastener comprises a body. The body defines a first body portion and a second body portion that extend from a first end of the body to a second end of the body. The body comprises an inner surface extending from the first end of the body to the second end of the body. The body further comprises an outer surface extending from the first end of the body to the second end of the body. The body yet further comprises an inner threadform extending substantially along a length of the inner surface of the second body portion and a controlled break region. The controlled break region is disposed at an intersection of the first body portion and the second body portion. The controlled break region includes an outer surface break point formed into the outer surface and an inner surface break point formed into the inner surface.

One-Piece Self-Locking Nut
United States Patent 11,098,748
Issued August 24, 2021
Inventor: Arnold R. Limatoc, Aiea, HI, USA
Assignee: Crushlock, Inc., Chuluota, FL, USA
A self-locking nut includes a main-nut body and a deformable nut body. The main nut body has a recess leading into an interior threaded bore forming x turns of an internal thread therein. The deformable nut body has an outer flange and an interior threaded bore forming y turns of an internal thread therein. The outer flange of the deformable-nut body is fixed to the main-nut body such that a relief space is formed between the deformable-nut body and the recess. A ratio of x:y is about 2:1.

Anti-Loosening Fastener
United States Patent 11,092,188
Issued August 17, 2021
Inventor: Richard C. Sicard, Stoughton, MA, USA
An anti-loosening fastener including a key-bolt-receiving bolt, including a head section to receive at least one tool thereon, a rear cylindrical section disposed on at least a portion of the head section to extend a predetermined distance away from the head section, the rear cylindrical section including a keybolt- receiving aperture disposed within at least a portion of the rear cylindrical section to receive an external fastener therein, and an internal thread section circumferentially disposed on an inner surface within the key-bolt-receiving aperture, and a key bolt to removably connect to at least a portion of the key-bolt-receiving bolt.

Shearable Fastener Bolt and Method for Clamping Electric Wires, and Electrical Connector Comprising a Zero-Protrusion Shearable Fastener
United States Patent 11,092,185
Issued August 17, 2021
Inventors: Bruno Peltier, St. Apollinaire, France; and Julien Dossmann, Gevrey-Chambertin, France
Assignee: Tyco Electronics Simel SAS, Gevrey-Chambertin, France
A fastener bolt for clamping an electric wire includes a bolt part and a nut part. The bolt part has a head section, a thread section and a shearing section connecting the head section and the thread section. The nut part is screwed onto the thread section. The shearing section is configured to break if a predetermined fastening torque is exceeded. The thread section is hollow and has a predetermined tensile breaking strength.

Shearing Fastener for Sealing a Fastener Hole
United States Patent 11,092,183
Issued August 17, 2021
Inventor: Curtis J. Graham, Peoria, IL, USA
Assignee: Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL, USA
A shearing fastener for sealing a fastener hole in a work piece includes a shank, a plug, and a fastener head. The fastener head is disposed along the upper end of the shank, while the lower end of the shank further includes a transition section that tapers inward and intersects with an upper surface of the plug at a neck. The plug has a threaded outer surface and an outer diameter greater than the shank. The plug engages the threaded bore of the fastener hole when inserted therein. The shank is configured to shear across the neck and separate the shank from the plug when the fastener head is torqued above a threshold torque. The plug is retained within the threaded bore of the fastener hole to seal the lower end of the fastener hole, forming a repaired work piece.

Captive Shear Bolt
United States Patent 11,085,480
Issued August 10, 2021
Inventor: Nicholas Polidori, Medford, NJ, USA
Assignee: Burndy, LLC, Manchester, NH, USA
A captive shear bolt assembly includes a bolt and a shear coupling. The bolt may have a head, an extension and a shank. The shear coupling may be configured to be received by the extension. The shear coupling may be configured to receive the extension via an orifice in the shear coupling. The shear coupling may be configured to shear when an upper head of the shear coupling is driven at a threshold torque. When the shear coupling has sheared, the extension may be configured to captively secure the upper head to the bolt. The captive shear bolt assembly may be used in a tap connector for electrically connecting a main conductor to a tap conductor.

Metal Fastener with Embedded RFID Tag and Method of Production
United States Patent 11,080,584
Issued August 3, 2021
Inventors: Geoffrey Grove, Providence, RI, USA; Tao Wei, Kingston, RI, USA; and Otto Gregory, Kingston,
RI, USA
Assignees: Pilgrim Screw Corporation, Providence, RI, USA; and Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary
Education, Warwick, RI, USA
The present disclosure is generally directed to an RFID tag for use with a metal fastener where the fastener operates as the antenna of the RFID tag. The RFID tag includes a microchip for storing data. The chip is electrically coupled to the metal fastener in order to receive and transmit the RF signal, the metal fastener thereby operating as the antenna for the RFID tag.

Fastener Assembly
United States Patent 11,078,943
Issued August 3, 2021
Inventor: Hector Alberto Martinez Vite, Toluca, Mexcio
Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI, USA
A fastener assembly according to the present disclosure includes a fastener head, a shank depending from the fastener head and at least one wing member pivotably coupled to the shank. The shank extends along a central axis, and the wing member is pivotable about a pivot axis extending parallel to the central axis. The wing member is pivotable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The wing member has a fork configured to receive a workpiece therein when in the deployed position.

Retaining Ring Having Inner Surfaces with Facets
United States Patent 11,056,350
Issued July 6, 2021
Inventors: Jeonghoon Oh, Saratoga, CA, USA; Steven M. Zuniga, Soquel, CA, USA; Andrew J. Nagengast, Sunnyvale, CA, USA; Samuel Chu-Chiang Hsu, Palo Alto, CA, USA and Gautam Shashank Dandavate, Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA
A retaining ring comprises a generally annular body. The body comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer surface connected to the top surface at an outer top perimeter and the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter, and an inner surface connected to the top surface at an inner top perimeter and the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter. The inner surface comprises seven or more planar facets. Adjacent planar facets are connected at corners. The inner bottom perimeter comprises straight edges of the planar facets connected at the corners.