Connecting element

• US 20060291980A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABC Umformtechnik GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Altenloh Brinck & Company GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Hofschneider, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,399,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 411/399
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/16 by bolts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 35/06 Specially-shaped heads special shape in order to rotate the bolt F16B23/00 ; separate hook adaptors for bolts F16B43/025

Abstract

The present invention concerns a fastener arrangement made of a component and a screw element with an area for the application of force for a turning tool, where the component and the screw element, when fastened to each other, are in contact with each other by way of contact surfaces, and where the contact surface of the screw element on the side facing the component, has a convexly curved outer surface, and where the contact surface of the component has a concavely curved inner surface, while the outer surface and the inner surface are positioned coaxially with respect to a common longitudinal axis, which runs through the component and the screw element.

Claims

1. A screw element comprising:

a force application area for a turning tool; and

a contact surface which points in the direction in which the screw element is screwed in, and which contact surface is configured as a convexly curved outer surface for making contact with a concavely curved inner surface of a component, where the convexly curved outer surface of the screw element and the concavely curved inner surface of the component are coaxial with respect to a common longitudinal axis which extends through the component and the screw element, wherein the contact surface defines when viewed in axial cross section of the screw element circular sections having centers of curvatures which are spaced from the longitudinal axis such that the convexly curved outer surface of the screw element and the concavely curved inner surface of the component when fastened to each other are in contact with each other between ends of the circular sections, wherein the concavely curved inner surface defines a single center of curvature, and the circular sections of the convexly curved outer surface define centers of curvature, that are spaced apart from each other in a direction extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and where the radius belonging to the center of curvature of the concavely curved inner surface is longer than the radii of the centers of curvature circular sections of the convexly curved outer surface.

2. A screw element comprising:

a force application area for a turning tool; and

a contact surface which points in the direction in which the screw element is screwed in, and which contact surface is configured as a convexly curved outer surface for making contact with a concavely curved inner surface of a component, where the outer surface of the screw element and the inner surface of the component are coaxial with respect to a common longitudinal axis that extends through the component and the screw element, wherein the contact surface when viewed in axial cross section of the screw element defines circular sections having centers of curvatures in such a manner that the convexly curved outer surface and the concavely curved inner surface of the component are in contact with each other between ends of the circular sections when they are fastened to each other, wherein the circular sections of the convexly curved outer surface have a common center of curvature and wherein the circular sections defined by the concavely curved inner surface have centers of curvature spaced apart from the common center of curvature, where the radius belonging to the centers of curvature of the circular sections of the convexly curved outer surface is shorter than the radii of the center of curvature of the concavely curved inner surface.