Fastener with anti-rotation clip

• US 8,092,132 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zink, Frederick E., Gerstenberger, Jeffrey L., Moore, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US12/315,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20100143065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 411/191, 411/197, 411/198, 411/202, 411/204, 411/209, 411/217, 411/221
• US Class Current: 411/221
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/103 with a locking cup washer, ring or sleeve surrounding the nut or bolt head and being partially deformed on the nut or bolt head, or on the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/364 with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/548 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings

Abstract

A fastener with a threaded nut, a clip, a first engagement feature and a second engagement feature. The nut has front and rear surfaces and a first lock structure that is disposed between the front and rear surfaces. The clip has a body, which defines an aperture, a second lock structure and an engagement member. The second lock structure is coupled to the body and engages the first lock structure to axially retain the clip to the nut. The engagement member extends into the aperture in the body. The first engagement feature is coupled to either the nut or the clip and comprises at least one tooth. The second engagement feature is associated with the other one of the nut and the clip and is engaged with the first engagement feature to inhibit rotation between the nut and the clip.

Claims

1. A fastener comprising:

an internally threaded nut having a front surface, a rear surface and a first lock structure that is disposed between the front and rear surfaces;

a clip having a body, a second lock structure and an engagement member, the body defining an internal aperture, the second lock structure being coupled to the body and engaged to the first lock structure to axially retain the clip to the internally threaded nut, the engagement member extending into the internal aperture in the body and being adapted to be received into a keyway in a shaft to inhibit rotation between the clip and the shaft;

a first engagement feature coupled to one of the internally threaded nut and the clip, the first engagement feature comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth; and

a second engagement feature associated with the other one of the internally threaded nut and the clip, the second engagement feature comprising a plurality of tooth apertures, the second engagement feature being engaged with the first engagement feature to thereby inhibit relative rotation between the internally threaded nut and the clip.

2. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the first lock structure comprises a circumferentially extending groove that defines an abutting wall member.

3. The fastener of claim 2, wherein the second lock structure comprises a plurality of spring tabs that abut the abutting wall member to resist removal of the clip from the internally threaded nut in an axial direction.

4. The fastener of claim 3, wherein a frusto-conical surface is formed on the internally threaded nut, the frusto-conical surface being configured to urge the plurality of spring tabs radially outwardly as the clip is pushed onto the internally threaded nut.

5. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the plurality of teeth are disposed on a frusto-conical surface of the internally threaded nut.

6. The fastener of claim 5, wherein the second engagement feature includes a plurality of tooth apertures.

7. The fastener of claim 6, wherein the second engagement feature includes a plurality of mating teeth.

8. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the plurality of teeth extend forwardly from the front surface.

9. The fastener of claim 8, wherein the plurality of teeth at least partly form a frusto-conical surface that urge the second lock structure radially outwardly as the clip is mounted onto the internally threaded nut.

10. A fastener comprising:

a first structure defining an internally threaded aperture, the first structure having a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of teeth, a frusto-conical surface at least partly defined by the teeth, and a lock structure disposed between the front and rear surfaces including a circumferentially extending groove that defines an abutting wall member, the frusto-conical surface being disposed forwardly of the lock structure, the teeth being integrally formed with a remainder of the first structure, the teeth being located on the first structure on a side of the lock structure opposite the rear surface and extending in a direction away from the rear surface; and

a second structure having a body, a plurality of spring tabs, an engagement member and an engagement feature, the body defining an internal aperture, the spring tabs being urged radially outwardly by the frusto-conical surface as the second structure is pushed onto the first structure and engage the abutting wall member to axially retain the second structure to the first structure, the engagement member extending into the internally threaded aperture and being adapted to be received into a keyway in a shaft to inhibit rotation between the clip and the shaft, the engagement feature includes a plurality of tooth apertures engaged with the teeth on the first structure to thereby inhibit relative rotation between the first and second structures.

11. The fastener of claim 10, wherein the engagement feature includes a plurality of mating teeth.

12. The fastener of claim 10, wherein the teeth of the first structure extend from the frusto-conical surface.

13. The fastener of claim 12, wherein the engagement feature includes a plurality of tooth apertures.

14. The fastener of claim 12, wherein the engagement feature includes a plurality of mating teeth.

15. The fastener of claim 10, wherein the plurality of teeth extend forwardly from the front surface.

16. A locking fastener for installation on a shaft having a threaded portion and a keyway, comprising:

a nut including an annular nut body having internal threads adapted for threaded connection to the threaded portion of the shaft, said nut body having a rear surface, a front surface, a plurality of teeth extending outwardly from said front surface, and a circumferential abutting wall member formed adjacent to said plurality of teeth between said front and rear surfaces; and

a clip including an annular clip body adapted to surround and be non-rotatably coupled to said nut body, said clip body including a spring tab having a latch member engaging said abutting wall member when said clip is mounted on said nut, a plurality of tooth apertures within which said plurality of teeth on said nut are disposed, and an engagement member configured to extend into the keyway in the shaft.

17. The locking fastener of claim 16 wherein said plurality of teeth form a frusto-conical surface.

18. A fastener comprising:

an internally threaded nut having a front surface, a rear surface and a first lock structure that is disposed between the front and rear surfaces;

a clip having a body, a second lock structure and an engagement member, the body defining an internal aperture, the second lock structure being coupled to the body and engaged to the first lock structure to axially retain the clip to the internally threaded nut, the engagement member extending into the internal aperture in the body and being adapted to be received into a keyway in a shaft to inhibit rotation between the clip and the shaft;

a first engagement feature including a plurality of teeth extending from the front surface of the internally threaded nut, the plurality of teeth at least partly forming a frusto-conical surface that urges the second lock structure radially outwardly as the clip is mounted on the internally threaded nut; and

a second engagement feature associated with the clip and which is engageable with the first engagement feature to inhibit relative rotation between the internally threaded nut and the clip.

19. The fastener of claim 18, wherein the second engagement feature includes a plurality of tooth apertures formed in the clip.

20. A fastener comprising:

an internally threaded nut having a front surface, a rear surface and a first lock structure that is disposed between the front and rear surfaces;

a clip having a body, a second lock structure and an engagement member, the body defining an internal aperture, the second lock structure being coupled to the body and engaged to the first lock structure to axially retain the clip to the internally threaded nut, the engagement member extending into the internal aperture in the body and being adapted to be received into a keyway in a shaft to inhibit rotation between the clip and the shaft;

a first engagement feature including a plurality of teeth extending from the front surface of the internally threaded nut; and

a second engagement feature including a plurality of tooth apertures formed in the clip, the teeth on the internally threaded nut being engaged with the tooth apertures to inhibit relative rotation between the internally threaded nut and the clip.