Integrated fastening system

• US 20030209113A1
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Antony Brooks, Steven Sidwell
• Original Assignee: Uniscrew Worldwide, Inc.
• Inventors: Sidwell, Steven, Brooks, Lawrence Antony
• Granted Patent: US 6,792,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 81/439
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 15/008 Allen-type keys
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 23/0038 substantially prismatic with up to six edges, e.g. triangular, square, pentagonal, Allen-type cross-sections
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 23/0092 with a head engageable by two or more different tools F16B23/0076 takes precedence

Abstract

A fastener system comprises a plurality of ranges of size of threaded fastener (10), each fastener having a head (12;32) provided with a recess (14) to receive a tool (20) to rotatingly drive the fastener.

In each range of sizes, the largest size of fastener has a recess (14) comprising a plurality of driving tiers (16a,b,c,d) of reducing size superimposed on one another. Between two adjacent size ranges, there is a common tier (16d;16b′), being the largest tier (16b′,16b″) of the recess (14′,14″) of the smaller size range, and the smallest tier (16d) of the recess (14) of the larger size range.

The depth (16c′+16d′) from the base of the largest recess to the base of the smallest recess in the smaller size range is less than the depth (16d) of the smallest recess in the larger size range.

In the smaller size range, the tool (20′) has at least three tiers (26b′,c′,d′) of driving section at its end. The range of fasteners to be driven by the tool includes a first fastener (10″′) whose recess is shaped to be drivingly engaged by at least the third (26b′) and second (26c′) smallest tiers of the tool, but not the smallest (26d′) tier. The recess (16c″′) receiving the second smallest tier (26c′) of the tool is deep enough to freely accommodate the smallest tier (26d′).

Claims

1. A fastener system comprising a plurality of ranges of size of threaded fastener, each fastener having a head provided with a recess to receive a tool to rotatingly drive the fastener, and wherein:

in each range of sizes, the largest size of fastener has a recess comprising a plurality of driving tiers of reducing size superimposed on one another, each tier having sides which are substantially parallel a long axis of the fastener and define a polygon in section;

between two adjacent size ranges, there is a common tier, being the largest tier of the recess of the smaller size range and the smallest tier of the recess of the larger size range, which common tier is the same section in each range; and

the depth from the base of the largest recess to the base of the smallest recess in the smaller size range is less than the depth of the smallest recess in the larger size range.

2. A fastening system as claimed in claim 1, in which there are two size ranges of fasteners comprising screws of diameters from about 2 mm to about 10 mm and from about 10 mm to about 30 mm.

3. A fastening system as claimed in claim 2, in which the screws are size M2 machine screws to size M10 in the small range and size M12 to M30 in the large size range.

4. A fastening system as claimed in claim 1, in which the common tier is hexagonal in section.

5. A fastening system as claimed in claim 1, in which the common tier has a diameter of about 6 mm, preferably 5.9 mm.

6. A fastening system as claimed in claim 1, in which the smaller size range of fasteners has three tiers in larger fasteners, two tiers in middle size fasteners, and one in the smallest fasteners.

7. A fastening system as claimed in claim 1, in which, in the smaller size range of fasteners, the larger fasteners have two tiers comprising the common tier of a first depth and a smaller tier of a second depth, and middle size fasteners have three tiers comprising the common tier of a second depth being less than the first, a smaller tier of a fourth depth less than the second, and a smallest tier.

8. A fastening system as claimed in claim 7, in which small size fasteners have two tiers comprising said smaller tier and said smallest tier, and smallest size fasteners have one tier comprising said smallest tier.

9. A set of punches having tier-forming sections for forming the recess of fasteners of the fastening system as claimed in any preceding claim, said set including one punch for a smaller size range of fasteners that has a largest tier-forming section of a common section, and another punch that has a smallest tier-forming section of the same common section.

10. A fastening system for a range of different sizes of fastener in which each fastener is provided with a recess to receive a tool to rotatingly drive the fastener, wherein:

the tool has at least three tiers of driving section at its end, each tier comprising sides disposed substantially parallel a long axis of the tool and forming a polygon in section, the tiers becoming progressively smaller in section near the end of the tool; and

the range of fasteners to be driven by the tool includes a first fastener whose recess is shaped to be drivingly engaged by at least the third and second smallest tiers of the tool, but not the smallest tier, the recess receiving the second smallest tier of the tool being deep enough to accommodate the smallest tier without any driving engagement therebetween, and without preventing full engagement of said second and third tiers in the corresponding tiers of the recess in the fastener.

11. A fastening system as claimed in claim 10, in which the range includes a second, smaller fastener whose recess is shaped to be driven by the smallest, and the second and third smallest, tiers of the tool, wherein:

the recesses of the first and second fasteners are such that the depth of engagement of the third smallest tier of the tool in the recess of the second fastener is less than the depth of engagement of the third smallest tier of the tool in the recess of the first fastener.

12. A fastening system as claimed in claim 10, in which the range of fasteners comprises screws of diameters from about 2 mm to about 10 mm.

13. A fastening system as claimed in claim 12, in which the screws are size M2 machine screws to size M10.

14. A fastening system as claimed in claim 10, in which the range includes a second, smaller fastener whose recess is shaped to be driven by the smallest, and the second and third smallest, tiers of the tool, wherein:

the recesses of the first and second fasteners are such that the depth of engagement of the third smallest tier of the tool in the recess of the second fastener is less than the depth of engagement of the third smallest tier of the tool in the recess of the first fastener; and

said first screw is M10 and said second screw is M8.

15. A fastening system as claimed in claim 14, in which the recesses of the first and second fasteners are such that the depth of engagement of the third smallest tier of the tool in the recess of the second fastener is about 1 mm and the depth of engagement of the third smallest tier of the tool in the recess of the first fastener is about 3 mm.

16. A fastening system as claimed in claim 10, in which the tiers are hexagonal in section.

17. A fastening system as claimed in claim 10, in which the third smallest tier has a diameter of about 6 mm, preferably 5.9 mm.

18. A set of punches having tier-forming sections for forming the recess of fasteners of the fastening system as claimed in claim 10, said set including a first punch for a smaller size of fastener and that has three tier-forming sections, and a second punch for a larger size of fastener and that has two tier-forming sections, wherein:

the larger tier of the second punch has the same section as the largest tier of the first punch;

the smaller tier of the second punch has the same section as the middle sized tier of the first punch; and

the length of the smaller tier of the second punch is the same or longer than the combined depth of the middle sized tier and smallest tier of the first punch.