Patents for August/September 2026

Screw, System Comprising a Screw and a Plate, and Method for Producing a Screw
US Patent 12,678,206
Published July 14, 2026
Inventors: Andreas Mullis, Hemmiken, Switzerland; Dirk Thiel, Staufen, Germany; Patrick Mark Sesiani, Schwörstadt, Germany; Stefan Olivier Würger, Lausen, Switzerland; Jürgen Schonhardt, Rheinfelden, Germany; Hermann Zeuner, Freiburg, Germany
Assignee: Medartis Holding AG, Basel, Switzerland
The invention relates to a screw (1), preferably a bone screw, comprising a shaft (2) with a tip (3), a head (4) and a thread (5). The shaft further comprises a longitudinal axis (A). An array of radial cross-sectional surfaces (Q) of the head (4) extend through the longitudinal axis (A) of the screw (1), the location of each radial cross-sectional surface (Q) being defined by an azimuth angle (6) in a plane (E) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A). Each radial cross-sectional area (Q) has an area defined by the longitudinal axis (A) and the outer surface of the screw (8). The thread (5) extends into the head (4) in such a way that the surface areas of the radial cross-sectional surfaces (Q′) in a first azimuth angle range (9) are constant and the surface areas of the radial cross-sectional surfaces (Q″) in a second azimuth angle range (10), which is different from the first, have a different, preferably smaller, value than the surface areas in the first azimuth angle range (9). The first azimuth angle range (9) is at most 350°, preferably at most 345°.

Multi-Piece Fastener Including a Shell
US Patent 12,680,570
Published July 14, 2026
Inventors: Robert E. Stewart, Farmington Hills, MI, USA; Catherine Strumbos, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA; Thomas Strangway, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA; Brian Nau, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA; Richard J. Anton, Northville, MI, USA
Assignee: ALPHAUSA, Livonia, MI, USA
A fastener comprising a nut, a washer and a shell that axially retains the nut and the washer together. In one embodiment, the shell axially retains the nut and the washer together and has a lower wall axially retaining the washer to the nut in a first direction and a s-shaped section retaining the nut to the washer in a second direction. In another embodiment, the shell has a bent section and a lower wall extending axially away from the bent section. The lower wall of the bent section retains the washer to the shell. In yet another embodiment, the shell comprises a base wall including a first bend, a first skirt depending away from the first bend, a second bend extending away from the second bend, a third bend extending away from the second bend and a second skirt depending away from the third bend.

Fast and Simple Expansion Bolt
US Patent 12,674,482
Published July 7, 2026
Inventors: Jianyun Xiao, Yixing, China; Jianwei Weng, Yixing, China; Jianmin Qi, Yixing, China
Assignee: Jiangsu Sunwell Cabinetry Co., Ltd., Yixing, China
The present disclosure discloses a fast and simple expansion bolt, including an expansion bolt main body, an expansion bolt locating line formed in an outer wall of a front end of the expansion bolt main body; a locating slot formed in the expansion bolt locating line; a rubber ring located on an outer wall of the expansion bolt main body; a tail seat and a locating ring located and mounted at a rear end of the expansion bolt main body; a pressing seat located in the tail seat; a locating column located on the pressing seat; a pressing handle movably arranged on the locating column; an adjustment pin arranged between the pressing handle and the locating column; and the expansion bolt main body is integrally formed with the expansion bolt locating line, the locating slot, the locating ring and the tail seat through casting.

Spiral U-Blade Lag Screw
US Patent 12,672,904
Published July 7, 2026
Inventor: Bernd Simon, Kiel, Germany
Assignee: Stryker European Operations Limited, Carrigtwohill, Ireland
A lag screw assembly includes a lag screw and a blade. The lag screw includes a shank extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the shank having an outer surface and the shank having a threaded portion at the distal end. The lag screw further includes a groove formed in the shank and open to the outer surface, the groove extending along the shank between the proximal and distal ends. At least a portion of the groove defines a path that extends around and along the longitudinal axis on the outer surface. The blade has a head and a leg extending therefrom for slidably engaging the groove.

Threaded Fastener
US Patent 12,669,144
Published June 30, 2026
Inventor: Yu-Min Chen, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
A fastener includes a bolt including a head and a threaded shank including a bare section proximate the head, an end section having a wider end and having a plurality of alternate grooves and ridges, an intermediate section proximate the end section and having a spiral trough and a threaded section between the intermediate section and the bare section; and a hollow member including a head member and a malleable shank having a plurality of holes. The end section is tapered toward the intermediate section at an angle of 3-degree to 8-degree.

Universal Nut With Thread Adapter
US Patent 12,663,105
Published June 23, 2026
Inventor: Jeffrey T. Root, Howell, MI, USA
Assignee: BrassCraft Manufacturing Company, Novi, MI, USA
A universal nut includes at least one shell including a base wall and a skirt extending axially away from the base wall and having an internal thread and a thread adapter threaded to the internal thread of the skirt of the at least one shell. A universal fluid connector includes the universal nut and a conduit extending along a conduit axis and including a tubing portion and a nut coupling portion. The base wall of the at least one shell couples to the nut coupling portion of the conduit and has a conduit aperture through which the conduit extends.

Quick Release Nut
US Patent 12,655,864
Published June 16, 2026
Inventor: Jacob Hunter, Elk City, OK, USA
A quick release nut apparatus, system and method comprising surfaces between threaded segments and a sleeve in a fully closed or engaged position in contact and parallel to the axis of threads; The quick release nut apparatus, system and method includes handles that are used for ease of operation as well as light torque or loosening when engaged or disengaged from the external threads, positive locking of the segments in an engaged position that increases tolerance to high forces or impact loading and the sleeve inside of a housing that props or unprops the threaded segments.

Fastener Installation Assembly, an End-Effector Tool and a Method
US Patent 12,654,334
Published June 16, 2026
Inventors: Drew Michael Peterson, Mill Creek, WA, USA; Yen-Chien Wang, Kenmore, WA, USA
Assignee: The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA, USA
A fastener installation assembly, an end-effector tool and a method for installing fasteners into respective holes of a workpiece includes a container and retainer assemblies supported by the container. Each of the retainer assemblies include fingers configured to retain a respective one of the fasteners between the fingers in a pre-installed position. A first actuator is configured to move the respective fasteners to an installed position by ejecting the respective one of the fasteners out of the respective retainer assemblies and inserting the respective one of the fasteners into one of the holes of the workpiece. Each of the retainer assemblies include a compliance apparatus configured to allow the respective fasteners and the respective fingers to move independently of each other to self-align the respective fasteners with the respective one of the holes as the first actuator moves the respective fasteners from the pre-installed position to the installed position.

Fitting for Creating a Fluid-Tight Screw Connection
US Patent 12,650,184
Published June 9, 2026
Inventors: Philipp Dasbach, Wilnsdorf, Germany; David Lindemann, Gummersbach, Germany; Reiner Mester, Lennestadt, Germany; Karsten Bohr, Attendorn, Germany
Assignee: Viega Technology GmbH & Co. KG, Attendorn, Germany
The invention relates to a fitting for creating a fluid-tight screw connection for a pipe having an external thread, with a fitting base body, with a pressing sleeve connected to the fitting base body, with a chamber formed in the pressing sleeve, with an elastomer seal arranged in the chamber and with a plastic seal arranged in the pressing sleeve. The elastomer seal consists of a material with an elasticity which is greater than the elasticity of the material of the plastic seal and wherein the plastic seal is in contact with the elastomer seal on the outside and has a thread on the inside for screwing onto the external thread of the tube.

Hidden Recess Furniture Screw and Driver System
US Patent 12,650,143
Published June 9, 2026
Inventor: Andrew J. Klein, Parker, CO, USA
Abstract: A fastener and a specialized driver, the fastener comprising a fastener head with aperture centered therein and fastener body extending from connection with the fastener head. The fastener body has an interior cavity along a length of the fastener body and a spring biased plunger is slidable within an interior cavity of the fastener body between a first position where the plunger has a surface configured to fit within the aperture and in a second position the plunger is spaced apart from the aperture. The driver is removably coupleable to the fastener to depress the plunger and transfer torque to the fastener for installation without damage to the fastener.

Self-Drilling Screw for Layered Flooring
US Patent 12,650,142
Published June 9, 2026
Inventor: Boyd J. Smith, Xenia, OH, USA
Assignee: All State Fastener Corporation, Roseville, MI, USA
A system includes a flooring substrate having a hollow core, a support substrate supporting the flooring substrate and a fastener engaging the flooring substrate to the support substrate. The fastener includes a head portion for receiving a screw driver configured to rotate the fastener about an axis and a shank portion extending along the axis from the head portion to a distal end. The shank portion includes a threaded section between the distal end and the head portion and an unthreaded section between the distal end and the threaded section. The threaded section has an outer threaded edge extending helically along the shank portion. The unthreaded section has a length along the axis that is at least a depth between the flooring substrate and the support substrate.

Fastener Assembly Sensor Unit
US Patent 12,644,482
Published June 2, 2026
Inventors: Alan Patrick John Finlay, Worcester, UK; Philip Samuel Pickles, Oxfordshire, UK; John Mark Newton, Oxfordshire, UK
Assignee: Salunda Limited, Bicester, UK
There is provided a sensor unit for a fastener assembly, the sensor unit comprising a mounting arranged to rigidly attach the sensor unit to, or adjacent to, a fastener assembly; and a sensor, that is an optical flow sensor or an inductive sensor, configured to sense movement of the fastener assembly. The sensor unit may comprise a processor arranged to process the output of the sensor to detect loosening of the fastener assembly and to output a signal representing the status of the fastener assembly. The sensor unit may comprise a wireless communication unit arranged to communicate the signal.

Multi-Piece Fastener Comprising a Tapered Threaded Portion and Method of Fastening
US Patent 12,644,483
Published June 2, 2026
Inventors: Justin S. Branch, Waco, TX, USA; Robert B. Wilcox, McGregor, TX, USA
Assignee: Howmet Aerospace Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA
A fastener comprising a pin and a collar. The pin comprising a shank comprising a tapered lock groove thread profile; and a head portion configured to receive a torque. The collar configured to be deformed onto and secured to the shank, wherein the collar comprises an external surface configured to receive a torque such that the collar can be removed from the shank after deformation.