Cage Nut Assembly

• US 20110020091A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Legrand DPC LLC (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Ortronics Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Levesque, Stewart A., Larsen, Lars R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,235,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 411/84
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 27/00 Bolts, screws, or nuts formed in integral series but easily separable, particularly for use in automatic machines arrangements for feeding screws or nuts in spanners, wrenches or screw-drivers with built-in magazines B25B23/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/044 Nut cages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 411/966 Multiple, i.e. gang type

Abstract

A cage nut assembly is provided for retaining a nut within a cage'"'"'s nut capture region defined by a base with a hole substantially in its center, two lateral truss integral with the base and perpendicular to each other, and two upwardly extending arms also integral with the base. The two upwardly extending arms form a C-shaped head at the distal end that extend over the nut capture region. Thus a nut disposed in said cage is substantially flush with the base of said cage. A multiple cage nut assembly is provided for retaining a nut within cage'"'"'s plurality of nut capture regions. One such nut capture region being defined by a base with a hole substantially in its center, two lateral truss integral with the base and perpendicular to each other, and two upwardly extending arms also integral with the base. The two upwardly extending arms form a C-shaped head at the distal end that extend over the nut capture region. Thus a nut disposed in said cage is substantially flush with the base of said cage. At least one other nut capture region being defined by a base with a hole substantially in its center, two lateral truss integral with the base and perpendicular to each other, and two upwardly extending arms also integral with the base. The two upwardly extending arms form a head with a bearing surface at the distal end that extend over the nut capture region. Thus a nut disposed in said cage is substantially flush with the base of said cage.

Claims

1. A cage assembly comprising:

a. a base that defines a perimeter and a hole disposed within said perimeter;

b. a first lateral truss integral with the perimeter of said base;

c. a second lateral truss integral with the perimeter of said base and disposed substantially opposite relative to said first lateral truss;

d. a first upwardly extending arm integral with the perimeter of said base, disposed substantially perpendicular to said first and second lateral trusses, wherein the first upwardly extending arm defines a first C-shaped member that extends at least in part above a nut capture region of said base; and

e. a second upwardly extending arm integral with the perimeter of said base, disposed substantially perpendicular to said first and second lateral trusses and substantially opposite said first upwardly extending arm, wherein the first upwardly extending arm ends defines a second C-shaped member that extends at least in part above said nut capture region of said base.

2. The cage assembly of claim 1, wherein said base is substantially square.

3. The cage assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second integral trusses extend upwardly by the same length.

4. The cage assembly of claim 1, further comprising a nut having a threaded bore positioned in said nut capture region.

5. The cage assembly of claim 4, wherein said first and second integral truss extend upwardly a length necessary to retain said nut.

6. The cage nut assembly of claim 4, wherein the holes of said base has a diameter greater than or equal to the diameter of said threaded bore.

7. A cage nut assembly comprising:

a. a first nut capture region adapted to retain an object, said first nut capture region defined by;

i. a first base, wherein said base comprises a perimeter and a hole disposed substantially in the center of said first base;

ii. a first lateral truss integral with the perimeter of said first base;

iii. a second lateral truss integral with the perimeter of said first base and disposed substantially opposite relative to said first lateral truss;

iv. a first upwardly extending arm integral with the perimeter of said first base, disposed substantially perpendicular to said first and second lateral truss; and

v. a second upwardly extending arm integral with the perimeter of said first base, disposed substantially perpendicular to said first and second lateral truss and opposite said first upwardly extending arm;

b. at least one second nut capture region adapted to retain an object, said second nut capture region defined by;

i. a second base, wherein said second base comprises a perimeter and a hole disposed substantially in the center of said second base;

ii. a third lateral truss integral with the perimeter of said second base;

iii. a fourth lateral truss integral with the perimeter of said second base and disposed substantially opposite relative to said third lateral truss;

iv. a third upwardly extending arm integral with the perimeter of said second base, disposed substantially perpendicular to said third and fourth lateral truss; and

v. a fourth upwardly extending arm integral with the perimeter of said base, disposed substantially perpendicular to said third and fourth lateral truss and substantially opposite said third upwardly extending arm;

c. wherein the first base and second base are defined by a single, continuous structure and at least two of said upwardly extending arms defines a C-shaped head that extends above a portion of the corresponding nut capture region.

8. The cage assembly of claim 7, wherein at least two of said upwardly extending arms further define a head curved to extends above a portion of the corresponding nut capture region.

9. The cage assembly of claim 7, wherein said base is substantially square.

10. The cage assembly of claim 7, wherein said first nut capture region is connected to a plurality of nut capture regions.

11. A cage nut assembly comprising:

a. a nut having a threaded bore, wherein said threaded bore has a diameter; and

b. the cage assembly of claim 7.

12. The cage nut assembly of claim 11, wherein said first, second, third and fourth integral truss extend upwardly a length necessary to retain said nut.

13. The cage nut assembly of claim 11, wherein the holes of said base has a diameter greater than or equal to the diameter of said threaded bore.