Patents for October 2025

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

Liquid-Tight Structure with a Fastener Component
US Patent 12412791
Published September 9, 2025
Inventor: Po-Cheng Tsai, New Taipei, Taiwan
Assignee: Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX, USA
A liquid-tight structure includes a stepped fastener having a first shank and a second shank. The stepped fastener is threadingly engaged with an opening that includes a first step and a second step. A first diameter of the first shank is larger than a second diameter of the second shank. The liquid-tight structure includes a first seal seated on and in physical communication with a first top surface of the first step of the opening. The first seal is compressed between a first side of the opening and the first shank. The liquid-tight structure includes a second seal seated on and in physical communication with a second top surface of the second step of the opening. The second seal is compressed between a second side of the opening and the second shank.

Fastener Extractor Device
US Patent 12403574
Published September 2, 2025
Inventors: Paul Kukucka, Brandon, FL, USA; and Thomas Stefan Kukucka, Brandon, FL, USA
Assignee: Grip Holdings LLC, Brandon, FL, USA
A fastener extractor tool is an apparatus that is used to remove a seized or damaged fastener. The apparatus may include at least one shank body and at least one torque-tool body. The at least one shank body allows the apparatus to be attached to an external torque tool. The torque-tool body engages the seized fastener to apply torque to dislodge said seized fastener. The at least one torque-tool body may include a plurality of laterally-bracing sidewalls and at least one engagement feature. The plurality of laterally-bracing sidewalls engage with the seized fastener to efficiently transfer torque from the external torque tool to the seized fastener. The at least one engagement feature is an engagement cavity that forms at least one engagement tooth on the at least one torque-tool body. The at least one engagement tooth engages the seized fastener to ensure torque is transferred to the seized fastener.

Fastener
US Patent 12404892
Published September 2, 2025
Inventors: Zhilin Li, Shanghai, China; and Jiahui He, Shanghai, China
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, USA
The present application provides a fastener for fastening a first component in a second component having a circular hole. The fastener includes a main body and a retaining member. The main body includes a head for connecting the first component and a shaft portion extending from the head. The retaining member includes a receiving barrel and a plurality of retaining arms. The shaft portion passes through and is connected to the receiving barrel to limit the axial and radial movements of the retaining member along the shaft portion relative to the main body. The plurality of retaining arms extend upwardly from the receiving barrel and are distributed about the central axis of the receiving barrel. The plurality of retaining arms are deflectable towards the shaft portion. The plurality of retaining arms are located between the shaft portion and a hole and abut against the hole to retain the second component between the head and the plurality of retaining arms when the retaining member is inserted into the hole. The main body is made of a first material, and the retaining member is made of a second material that is more wear-resistant than the first material.

Slotted Bolt Cleat Binder
US Patent 12398828
Published August 26, 2025
Inventors: Rodney G. Rouleau, Manhattan, IL, USA; Joseph D. Cicero, Chicago, IL, USA; and Andrew W. Booth, Pickering, Great Britian
Assignee: Panduit Corp., Tinley Park, IL, USA
A cleat binder is used to secure cables for short circuit protection. The cleat binder includes a yoke, a slotted hex head bolt, a nut, and a strap. The slotted hex head bolt has a head and a slot extending through the bolt. The yoke includes a bottom with a front, a back, a first side and a second side. Side walls extend from the first and second side of the bottom of the yoke. The slotted hex head bolt extends through openings in the side walls of the yoke. The nut secures the slotted hex head bolt on the yoke. The strap is fed through the slot of the slotted hex head bolt, wrapped around cables and tensioned to secure the cleat binder to the cables.

Method and System for Inspecting and Measuring Installed One-Sided Fasteners in a Structure
US Patent 12392736
Published August 19, 2025
Inventor: Nicholas C. Reasoner, Seattle, WA, USA
Assignee: The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA, USA
There is provided a method for inspecting and measuring one or more installed one-sided fasteners in a structure. The method includes positioning an X-ray imaging system at a first side of the structure at a location of the one or more installed one-sided fasteners. The method further includes emitting X-rays at the first side of the structure, detecting backscatter from the one or more installed one-sided fasteners and generating image data from the X-ray imaging system in response to detecting the backscatter. The method further includes measuring and analyzing the image data, with an image processing system, to obtain one or more measurements of one or more dimensions of the one or more installed one-sided fasteners. The method further includes using the image data to inspect the one or more installed one-sided fasteners, and to detect any inconsistencies in the one or more measurements of the one or more dimensions.

Wedge Lock Washer Pair and Tensioning Arrangement with Such Wedge Lock Washer Pair
US Patent 12385514
Published August 12, 2025
Inventors: Frank Lutter, Welver-Stocklarn, Germany; and Stefan Vornweg, Werl, Germany
Assignee: Heico Befestigungstechnik GmbH, Ense-Niederense, Germany
A pair of wedge lock washers with a first wedge lock washer and with a second wedge lock washer. The two washers each have a fastener opening arranged in alignment with one another, a wedge surface structure which engages with one another on their mutually facing surfaces and clamping structures on their surfaces facing away from one another. One of the two washers has a larger outer diameter than the other washer, and has a rotary drive contour on the radial outside for torque support of a clamping tool. The clamping structures of the washer with the larger diameter are arranged at an axial distance from the disk surface in the inner disk area thereof and are designed for the form-fitting embossing of the same into the surface of a component adjacent thereto. The apexes of the wedge surface structuring are located as positive structures on the mutually facing surfaces of the wedge lock washers in a respective plane. The planes of the disk surfaces of the wedge lock washer with the smaller diameter are arranged parallel to one another.

Tapered Fastener
US Patent 12378988
Published August 5, 2025
Inventor: Pierre A. Dionne, Roanoke, VA, USA
Assignee: DuraForce Holdings, LLC, Roanoke, VA, USA
A vibration resistant nut is provided for attaching a working surface to a threaded stud, the stud extending through a hole defined through the working surface. The nut includes an annulus for receiving the stud. The annulus includes a cylindrical portion and a tapered terminal end portion for being received in the hole. The tapered terminal end portion extends from the cylindrical portion. The tapered terminal end portion has an outer surface that narrows diametrically from the cylindrical portion. The nut includes a head extending from the cylindrical portion of the annulus opposite the tapered terminal end portion, the head having outer engagement surfaces for engaging a tool for rotation of the nut, the head having a threaded interior for engaging threads of the stud.

Screw for Screwing into Plastic
US Patent 12372111
Published July 29, 2025
Inventors: Michael Achenbach, Breidenbach, Germany; Juergen Behle, Bad Laasphe, Germany; Ralf Birkelbach, Bad Laasphe, Germany; Volker Dieckmann, Bad Berleburg, Germany; Frank Dratschmidt, Bad Berleburg, Germany; Jan Hackler, Bad Berleburg, Germany; Rene Gerber, Fronhausen, Germany; Ralph J. Hellmig, Bad Laasphe, Germany; Ilir Selimi, Biedenkopf, Germany; and Stephan Weitzel, Bad Laasphe, Germany
Assignee: EJOT GmbH & Co. KG, Bad Beleburg, Germany
The invention relates to a screw (IO) in order to cut a mating thread in a plastic article, comprising a lower threaded part (F) and an upper threaded part (T), the lower threaded part having a larger diameter and its tip covering a larger surface than the upper threaded part.

Screw Element Having an Axially Asymmetrical Screw Profile Which Has at Least Two Construction Points Located within the Screw Profile
US Patent 12370510
Published July 29, 2025
Inventors: Birgit Mannel, Mülheim an der Ruhu, Germany; Reiner Rudolf, Langenfeld, Germany; Michael Bierdel, Leverkusen, Germany; and Carsten Conzen, Leverkusen, Germany
Assignee: Covestro Intellectual Property GmbH & Co. KG., Leverkusen, Germany
A screw element which has an axially asymmetrical screw cross-sectional profile which has at least two construction points located within the screw cross-sectional profile is provided. The screw element is suitable for use in an extruder having two drive shafts which rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, in order to process or produce plastic masses as an extrudate. Also, an arrangement of two identical or different screw elements in an extruder having two drive shafts which rotate in the same direction and at the same speed is provided. An extruder which is equipped with two identical or different screw elements and has two drive shafts which rotate in the same direction and at the same speed is provided. Furthermore, the use of the screw element according to the invention for processing or producing plastic masses is provided.

Screw with an Improved Screw Head
US Patent 12369959
Published July 29, 2025
Inventors: E Erik Timothy, Apollo Beach, FL, USA; Chih-Hsien Shen, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Tse-Kuang Jou, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Assignee: Primesource Building Products, Inc., Irving, TX, USA
A screw with an improved screw head is provided. The screw may include a shank in between a head and a tip. The head may include a plurality of protrusions provided radially along the head. Each of the plurality of protrusions may include a protrusion wall, a leading wall, a trailing wall and a bottom wall; the trailing wall may include one single trailing surface, the leading wall may include a plurality of leading surfaces, and the bottom wall may include at least one bottom surface.

Self-Piercing Rivet and Manufacturing Method for Fastening Structure
US Patent 12372110
Published July 29, 2025
Inventors: Shinya Nagashima, Kariya, Japan; Toshiyuki Dobashi, Nagoya, Japan; Nobuyuki Shinohara, Tajimi, Japan; Mayumi Nakanishi, Okazaki, Japan; and Reona Takagishi, Tajimi, Japan
Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, Japan
A self-piercing rivet includes a head, an outer cylindrical part extending from the head and formed in a cylindrical shape, and an inner cylindrical part extending from the head, provided spaced apart inside the outer cylindrical part, and formed in a cylindrical shape. In the manufacturing method for a fastening structure, a self-piercing rivet is driven into an overlapping part of a first fastened member and a second fastened member to fasten the first fastened member and the second fastened member.