INJECTABLE NUT CAP
First Claim
1. A method of forming a seal around an end of a fastener protruding from a structure, the cap comprising a cap body with a cavity;
- a sealing material inlet comprising an opening in the cap body;
three or more ridges protruding from the cap body into the cavity; and
three or more channels between the ridges, the method comprising;
installing the cap body over the end of the fastener so that it is enclosed within the cavity and contacted by the ridges;
injecting sealing material into the cavity via the sealing material inlet so that the sealing material flows along the channels, fills the cavity, contacts the end of the fastener, and contacts the structure; and
curing the sealing material to form the seal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The description provides a method of forming a seal around an end of a fastener protruding from a structure. The cap includes a cap body with a cavity; a sealing material inlet comprising an opening in the cap body; three or more ridges protruding from the cap body into the cavity; and three or more channels between the ridges. The method includes: installing the cap body over the end of the fastener so that it is enclosed within the cavity and contacted by the ridges; injecting sealing material into the cavity via the sealing material inlet so that the sealing material flows along the channels, fills the cavity, contacts the end of the fastener, and contacts the structure; and curing the sealing material to form the seal.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method of forming a seal around an end of a fastener protruding from a structure, the cap comprising a cap body with a cavity;
- a sealing material inlet comprising an opening in the cap body;
three or more ridges protruding from the cap body into the cavity; and
three or more channels between the ridges, the method comprising;installing the cap body over the end of the fastener so that it is enclosed within the cavity and contacted by the ridges; injecting sealing material into the cavity via the sealing material inlet so that the sealing material flows along the channels, fills the cavity, contacts the end of the fastener, and contacts the structure; and curing the sealing material to form the seal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- a sealing material inlet comprising an opening in the cap body;
-
5. A cap for forming a seal around an end of a fastener protruding from a structure, the cap comprising:
-
a cap body with a cavity for receiving the end of the fastener; a sealing material inlet comprising an opening in the cap body that is in fluid communication with the cavity, the opening being arranged to interconnect with a sealing material injection device to provide a flow of curable sealing material from the sealing material inlet into the cavity to contact the end of the fastener in the cavity; three or more ridges protruding from the cap body into the cavity, the ridges being arranged to contact the end of the fastener in the cavity; and three or more channels between the ridges, the channels being arranged to enable the curable sealing material to flow from the sealing material inlet along the channels into contact with the end of the fastener and into contact with the structure. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A joint comprising:
-
a structure; a fastener passing through the structure with an end of the fastener protruding from the structure; and a cap forming a seal around the end of the fastener, the cap comprising;
a cap body with a cavity receiving the end of the fastener;
a sealing material inlet comprising an opening in the cap body;
three or more ridges protruding from the cap body into the cavity, the ridges contacting the end of the fastener in the cavity;
three or more channels between the ridges; and
a cured sealing material filling the cavity including the channels, the sealing material contacting the end of the fastener and the structure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification