Cage nut assembly

• US 8,235,634 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Legrand DPC LLC (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Ortronics Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Larsen, Lars R., Levesque, Stewart A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US12/509,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20110020091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 411/85, 411/88, 411/90, 411/107, 411/121, 411/112, 411/177, 411/970, 411/966
• US Class Current: 411/112
• 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 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 pair of upwardly extending arms, further comprising;

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

2. 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 second pair of upwardly extending arms, further comprising;

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

2. 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 said first nut capture region further comprises a pair of C-shaped members extending at least in part above a portion of said first nut capture region and from said first pair of upwardly extending arms, the pair of C-shaped members comprising;

i. a first C-shaped member having a first bearing surface extending generally perpendicularly from the first upwardly extending arm, a first vertical extent extending generally perpendicularly from the first bearing surface, and a first capture arm extending generally perpendicularly from an upper end of the first vertical extent; and

ii. a second C-shaped member defined by a second bearing surface extending generally perpendicularly from the second upwardly extending arm, a second vertical extent extending generally perpendicularly from the second bearing surface, and a second capture arm extending generally perpendicularly from an upper end of the second vertical extent.

2. The cage nut assembly of claim 1, wherein a third bearing surface extends generally perpendicularly from said third upwardly extending arm and a fourth bearing surface extends generally perpendicularly from said fourth upwardly extending arm of said second nut capture region.

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

4. The cage nut assembly of claim 1, wherein said first nut capture region is connected to a plurality of nut capture regions.

5. 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 1.

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

7. The cage nut assembly of claim 5, wherein the holes of said base has a diameter greater than or equal to the diameter of said threaded bore.

8. The cage nut assembly of claim 1, wherein the third pair of C-shaped members compress and hook onto lateral walls of a hole of a receiving member.

9. A cage nut assembly comprising:

a first nut capture region defined by (i) a first base portion, (ii) a first pair of opposing upwardly extending arms extending from the first base portion, and (iii) a C-shaped member extending from each of the upwardly extending arms of the first pair and extending at least in part over the first base portion of the first nut capture region;

a second nut capture region operatively coupled to the first nut capture region, the second nut capture region defined by (i) a second base portion, (ii) a second pair of opposing upwardly extending arms extending from the second base portion, and (iii) a bearing surface extending from each of the upwardly extending arms of the second pair and extending at least in part over the second base portion of the second nut capture region; and

an intermediate base portion integrally formed with, and extending between, the first base portion and the second base portion,

wherein the first base portion and the second base portion are spaced apart by the intermediate base portion and the first base portion, the second base portion, and the intermediate base portion form a single, continuous structure.

10. The cage nut assembly of claim 9, wherein the intermediate base portion comprises a first strut extending between the first base portion and the second base portion, the first base portion and the second base portion being spaced apart by the strut.

11. The cage nut assembly of claim 10, wherein the intermediate base portion comprises a second strut extending between the first base portion and the second base portion, the first and second strut being spaced apart and parallel to each other.

12. The cage nut assembly of claim 9, wherein the C-shaped member extending from a first one of the upwardly extending arms of the first pair comprises:

a first surface extending generally perpendicularly from the first one of the upwardly extending arms;

a vertical extent extending generally perpendicularly from the first bearing surface, and

a capture arm extending generally perpendicularly from an upper end of the first vertical extent.

13. The cage nut assembly of claim 9, further comprising a third nut capture region operatively coupled to the first nut capture region.

14. The cage nut assembly of claim 13, wherein the third nut capture region is operatively coupled to the first nut capture region by another intermediate base portion integrally formed with, and extending between, a third base portion associated with the of the third nut capture region and the first base portion associated with the first nut capture region.

15. The cage nut assembly of claim 13, wherein the first, second, and third nut capture regions are arranged linearly.

16. The cage nut assembly of claim 9, wherein each bearing surface of the second nut capture region have a first end integrally formed with and extending from one of the upwardly extending arms of the second pair and a second free terminus end.

17. The cage nut assembly of claim 9, wherein the C-shaped member extending from each of the upwardly extending arms is configured to hook on to a rack system to mount the first and second nut capture regions with respect to the rack system.