Fastener for clamping members having a certain spacing from each other while maintaining the certain spacing therebetween

• US 6,789,993 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Aoyama Seisakusho Company Limited (OSG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Aoyama Seisakusho Company Limited (OSG Corporation)
• Inventors: Gotou, Mitsushige, Ozawa, Junzo, Ito, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US10/089,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20020150445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 411/178, 411/535, 411/546, 411/432, 411/433, 411/307-310, 411/304
• US Class Current: 411/546
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 33/02 Shape of thread; Special thread-forms F16B25/00 takes precedence; used to remove paint or dirt layers F16B35/007, F16B37/002; used as screw-locking device F16B39/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0233 allowing for adjustment perpendicular to the plane of the plates
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0283 with an externally threaded sleeve around the neck or the head of the screw-threaded element for adjustably fastening a plate or frame or the like to a fixed element

Abstract

A fastener for members (M1, M2) to be clamped with a certain spacing therebetween includes a nut (10); a bolt (40); and a moveable collar (20) having in an inner bore thereof a torque transmitting device capable of transmitting torque of the bolt, which is axially inserted into the inner bore, to the movable collar through thread—thread engagement, and wherein a portion of the thread of the bolt includes special thread ridges (422), by which a frictional force is imparted to the thread—thread engagement.

Claims

1. A fastener comprising a bolt, a nut, and a movable collar,

wherein the bolt comprises a bolt head and a bolt shank, the bolt shank extending from the bolt head and having external threads thereon,

wherein the nut comprises a first nut engaging portion for engagement with the external threads of the bolt shank, and a second nut engaging portion for engagement with the movable collar, the second nut engaging portion being integrally formed with the first hut engaging portion,

wherein the nut is capable of being threaded onto the bolt through the first nut engaging portion,

wherein the movable collar comprises a first collar engaging portion for engagement with the external threads of the bolt shank, and a second collar engaging portion for engagement with the second nut engaging portion of the nut,

wherein the movable collar is capable of being threaded onto the bolt through the first collar engaging portion and is capable of being threaded into the nut through the second collar engaging portion and the second nut engaging portion,

wherein the second collar engaging portion comprises an external thread forming portion formed with an external thread of an opposite hand with respect to the external thread formed on the bolt shank,

wherein the nut comprises an extended cylindrical-shaped portion extended in an axial direction and having an extended outer-peripheral surface and an extended inner-peripheral surface, the extended cylindrical-shaped portion comprising a cavity defined by the extended inner-peripheral surface, the extended inner-peripheral surface comprising an internal thread forming said second nut engaging portion for threading onto the external thread formed on the second collar engaging portion, and, one end of the cylindrical-shaped portion having a flange formed as a single piece with the cylindrical-shaped portion, the flange having a central opening forming said first nut engaging portion,

wherein the movable collar is receivable in the cavity when it is threaded and inserted into the nut, and

wherein, with the movable collar being received in the cavity, the second nut engaging portion of the nut is inserted through an opening formed in one of two members formed with openings, and the bolt is threaded into the movable collar through the opening formed in the other of the two members and then torque is applied to the bolt head, the movable collar is extended toward the other of the two members from the cavity and the nut is threaded onto the bolt through the first nut engaging portion, whereby the one of the two members is latched on the nut and the other of the two members is latched on the movable collar, so that the two members are fastened by the bolt head, the nut, and the movable collar.

2. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the bolt shank comprises a small-diameter portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the external threads.

3. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the external thread of the bolt shank comprises thread ridges, engagement of which with the first collar engaging portion is cancelled by torque of at least a predetermined value.

4. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the external thread of the bolt shank has a thread ridge shape obtained by radially compressing crests of thread ridges of the external thread.

5. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein thread ridges of the external thread of the bolt shank have a greater pitch than a pitch of thread ridges of the external thread.

6. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the external thread of the bolt shank is formed with the same thread ridges as those of the external thread and a thin layer of a special nylon resin is formed on the thread ridges.

7. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the external thread comprises thread ridges formed of an elastic body.