Patents for August

Patents as Compiled from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) by the editors of FTI for August/September 2023.

T-Nut
US Patent 11698096
Published July 11, 2023
Inventors: Scott V. Evans, Jacksonville, NC, USA; and Nicholas Tomczak, Richlands, NC, USA
Assignee: Edge-Works Manufacturing Company, Burgaw, NC, USA
A T-Nut comprising a tubular body attached to a flanged head is provided. The tubular body includes a
bottom portion of constant diameter and an upper neck portion with a neck diameter that gradually
increases as it approaches the flange head. Additionally, the bottom surface of flange head of the TNut may be recessed inwardly towards the top surface of the flange head to create circumferential
concave cavity underneath the flange head, which will allow the flange head to envelope any portions
of a washer or casing that may be above the surface of the material being joined.

Blind Rivet
US Patent 11698093
Published July 11, 2023
Inventor: Heinrich Heinrichs, Vlotho, Germany
Assignee: Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH, Bielefeld, Germany
www.uspto.gov
A blind rivet for establishing a screw connection between a support component and a fastening part
has an elastic outer body and a metal bushing arranged therein. The outer body is at least partially
surrounded by a fixing sleeve which fixes the outer body on an end portion in the metal bushing.

Wall System Fastener with Seal Member
US Patent 11698095
Published July 11, 2023
Inventors: Jason R. Wigboldy, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; and Mitchell B. Mahler, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Assignee: Altenloh, Brinck & Co. US, Inc., Bryan, OH, USA
A wall fastener assembly for use with a building wall system, with the wall fastener assembly including
a fastener and an elongated, semi-rigid seal member. The fastener includes a shaft and a head, with
the fastener configured to be secured to the wall system. The seal member includes opposed first and
second ends, and a center bore that extends along the length of the seal member and is configured to
receive the shaft of fastener. When the fastener is secured to the wall system the first end of the seal
member is configured to compress against a portion of the wall system to form a first seal and the
opposite second end of the seal member is configured to form a second seal to thereby seal the wall
fastener assembly against the wall system.

Post-to-Beam Fastener
US Patent 11692578
Published July 4, 2023
Inventors: Michael C. Dill, Elk Grove Village, IL, USA; Daniel J. Stemper, Berwyn, PA, USA; Brent A.
Studenroth, Glenview, IL, USA; and Anthony M. Versino, Buffalo Grove, IL, USA
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, USA
Various embodiments provide a post-to-beam fastener including a head, a tip, and a threaded shank
connected to the head at a first end and the tip and a second end. In various embodiments, threaded
shank includes a longitudinal axis extending from the head to the tip, and the tip includes a recess
operable to removably receive a drill bit to the fastener.

Single Groove Single-Sided Fastener and Installation Method Thereof
US Patent 11692576
Published July 4, 2023
Inventors: Shibo Wang, Meishan, China; Yu Liu, Meishan, China; Tao Deng, Meishan, China; Yunlong Jia,
Meishan, China; Xiangyun Zhao, Meishan, China; Chuanqi Li, Meishan, China; Xu He, Meishan, China;
Wei Li, Meishan, China; and Long Guo, Meishan, China
Assignee: Meishan CRRC Fastening System Co., Ltd., Sichuan, China
A single groove single-sided fastener comprises: a rivet consisting of a rivet head, a polish rod, a
locking groove, a tail pulling groove and a tail tooth in sequence and a lantern ring consisting of a
sleeve and a dead head; a tail of the rivet is of a single groove short-tail structure, a ratio of a length of
the tail pulling groove to a total length of the tail tooth is 0.1˜1.5, an included angle between a bottom
generatrix of the tail pulling groove and an axis of the rivet is −30°~0°, two axial ends of the bottom of
the tail pulling groove and the tail of the tail tooth are of a fillet transition structure, a ratio of a length
of a straight part of the tail tooth to the total length of the tail tooth is 0.1~1.

Lock Nut
US Patent 11686360
Published June 27, 2023
Inventors: Rosa Pinto, Champigny-sur-Marne, France; Jèrôme Bertrand, Romainville, France; Fabrice
Umbdenstock, Paris, France; and Philippe Bourlon, Dammartin en Goële, France
Assignee: Foundation Brakes France SAS, Drancy, France
A longitudinal end of the nut has: at least one blocking face forming a means for blocking a rotation of
the nut along a longitudinal axis of the nut, and at least one transmission face forming a means for
transmitting a force directed along the axis. The blocking face or at least one of the blocking faces and
the transmission face or at least one of the transmission faces have at least one common edge, and
the blocking face or at least one of the blocking faces is concave.

Bone Screw with a Slotted Self-Drilling Tip
US Patent 11678920
Published June 20, 2023
Inventor: Graziano Lopizzo, Carlsbad, CA, USA
A self-drilling bone screw, comprising a head, a threaded body and a tip region. The threaded body
extends vertically below the head and has a helical male threading. The tip region extends vertically
below the treaded body. The tip region is fluted and has a pointed bottom tip, such that the tip region
is configured to drill a hole into a bone and generate bone chips. The tip region further has a slot
disposed horizontally through a portion of the tip region above the pointed bottom tip, the slot being
configured to trap at least some of the bone chips, thereby enabling fusion between the bone and the
bone chips. A diameter of threaded body is larger than a maximal diameter of the tip region.

Fastener and Vent Device for Telecommunications Equipment
US Patent 11661965
Published May 30, 2023
Inventors” Asaad Elsaadani, Meriden, CT, USA and William Wilber, Killingworth, CT, USA
Assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
A device includes a head having a material having a plurality of pores, wherein at least some of the
pores from the plurality of pores each have a size that is smaller than a water molecule and larger
than an air molecule such that the air molecules can pass through the pores and the water molecules
are prevented from passing through the pores; and an elongated body extending from the head and
having a thread on an outer surface thereof and having a conduit extending longitudinally through the
elongated body to the head. The device is configured to fasten a first surface to a second surface using
the thread of the elongated body.