Bonding washer

• US 8,353,650 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Wiley, Brian Thomas, Chan, Palvin Chee Leong
• Primary Examiner(s): DELISLE, ROBERTA S
• Application Number:
  US13/324,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 411/160, 411/533, 411/970
• US Class Current: 411/160
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/1054 the pull-mandrel or the like being frangible
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/1072 the pull-mandrel or the like comprising a thread and being rotated with respect to the rivet, thereby mechanically expanding and fastening the rivet nuts fastened by riveting F16B37/067
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/24 by means of washers, spring washers, or resilient plates that lock against the object locking to the screw-thread F16B39/14 , F16B39/34, F16B39/36
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 43/00 Washers or equivalent devices; Other devices for supporting bolt-heads or nuts circlips F16B21/18; for indicating tensile load F16B31/02; forming a whole with the bolt or nut F16B33/00; locking bolts or nuts by means of a fixed plate or ring, or washer-like resilient plates F16B39/10, F16B39/24
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/187 with sliding nuts or other additional connecting members for joining profiles provided with grooves or channels channel nuts per se F16B37/045
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 5/002 Auxiliary arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/26 Connections in which at least one of the connecting parts has projections which bite into or engage the other connecting part in order to improve the contact H01R4/188, H01R4/203, H01R4/5075 take precedence; using shape memory materials H01R4/01
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A bonding washer for making electrical connection between two metal pieces that are to be mechanically fastened together. The washer, to be interposed between the two metal pieces, is constructed so as to fasten to one of the pieces before the two pieces are joined. Teeth on the washer, positioned at right angles to the plane of the washer, are forced into each of the two metal pieces when the fastener is tightened, making electrical connection between the two metal pieces.

Claims

1. A bonding washer for making an electrical connection between two metal pieces when the metal pieces are rigidly held together by a fastener with at least a portion of the bonding washer disposed between them, the bonding washer comprising a metal body member, which comprises:

an opening through which a fastener can extend;

a first body portion adjacent and substantially parallel to a second body portion;

a first set of teeth, numbering one or more, formed on said first body portion and extending away from said body member in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said first and second body portions, each tooth of said first set having a distal edge; and

a second set of teeth, numbering one or more, formed on said second body portion and extending away from said body member in a second direction substantially opposite said first direction, each tooth of said second set having a distal edge,

wherein at least one tooth of said second set of teeth is substantially aligned with a tooth of said first set of teeth to define at least one pair of substantially aligned, diverging teeth,

whereby, when a fastener extending through said opening is tightened with said first and second sets of teeth between the metal pieces, the distal edges of said teeth are forcibly embedded into the metal pieces to make electrical contact therewith.

2. The bonding washer of claim 1, wherein the distal edge of each tooth is substantially smooth.

3. The bonding washer of claim 2, wherein the distal edge of each tooth is substantially circular.

4. The bonding washer of claim 1, wherein the distal edge of each tooth is substantially circular.

5. The bonding washer of claim 1, wherein each pair of substantially aligned teeth define a hole through the body member.

6. The bonding washer of claim 1, wherein said first and second sets of teeth comprise plural pairs of substantially aligned, diverging teeth.

7. The bonding washer of claim 6, wherein said pairs of teeth are near said opening.

8. The bonding washer of claim 7, wherein said opening comprises a hole.

9. The bonding washer of claim 6, wherein said body member additionally comprises a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body member.

10. The bonding washer of claim 9, wherein said fingers are near said opening.

11. The bonding washer of claim 6, wherein said first and second body portions extend substantially to the periphery of said body member.

12. The bonding washer of claim 11, wherein said opening comprises a first hole in said first body portion substantially aligned with a second hole in said second body portion.

13. The bonding washer of claim 12, wherein said teeth surround said opening.

14. The bonding washer of claim 13, wherein said body member additionally comprises a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body member adjacent said opening.

15. The bonding washer of claim 1, wherein said body member additionally comprises a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body member.

16. The bonding washer of claim 15, wherein said fingers are near said opening.

17. A bonding washer for making an electrical connection between two metal pieces when the metal pieces are rigidly held together by a fastener with at least a portion of the bonding washer disposed between them, the bonding washer comprising a sheet metal body member, which comprises:

an opening through which a fastener can extend;

a first body portion folded over and contiguous with a second body portion;

a first set of teeth, numbering one or more, formed on said first body portion and extending away from said body member in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said first and second body portions, each tooth of said first set having a substantially circular distal edge; and

a second set of teeth, numbering one or more, formed on said second body portion and extending away from said body member in a second direction substantially opposite said first direction, each tooth of said second set having a substantially circular distal edge,

wherein all of said teeth are substantially uniform and at least one tooth of said second set of teeth is substantially aligned with a tooth of said first set of teeth to define at least one pair of substantially aligned, diverging teeth,

whereby, when a fastener extending through said opening is tightened with said first and second sets of teeth between the metal pieces, the distal edges of said teeth are forcibly embedded into the metal pieces to make electrical contact therewith.

18. The bonding washer of claim 17, wherein the distal edge of each tooth is substantially smooth.

19. The bonding washer of claim 18, wherein each pair of substantially aligned teeth define a hole through the body member.

20. The bonding washer of claim 17, wherein said first and second sets of teeth comprise plural pairs of substantially aligned, diverging teeth.

21. The bonding washer of claim 17, wherein said first and second body portions extend substantially to the periphery of said body member.

22. The bonding washer of claim 17, wherein said body member additionally comprises a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body member.

23. A bonding washer for making an electrical connection between two metal pieces when the metal pieces are rigidly held together by a fastener with at least a portion of the bonding washer disposed between them, the bonding washer comprising:

a metal body having a first face and a second face, said first and second faces facing away from said body in opposite directions;

an opening in said body through which a fastener can extend;

a first set of teeth, numbering one or more, formed on said body and extending outwardly away from said first face substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body, each tooth of said first set having a distal edge; and

a second set of teeth, numbering one or more, formed on said body and extending outwardly away from said second face substantially perpendicular to said plane of said body, each tooth of said second set having a distal edge,

wherein at least one tooth of said second set of teeth is substantially aligned with a tooth of said first set of teeth to define at least one pair of substantially aligned, diverging teeth, each tooth of said pair of substantially aligned teeth having a substantially annular distal edge and a hollow interior,

whereby, when a fastener extending through said opening is tightened with said first and second sets of teeth between the metal pieces, the distal edges of said teeth are forcibly embedded into the metal pieces to make electrical contact therewith.

24. The bonding washer of claim 23, wherein the distal edge of each tooth of said substantially aligned pair of teeth is substantially smooth.

25. The bonding washer of claim 24, wherein the distal edge of each tooth of said substantially aligned pair of teeth is circular.

26. The bonding washer of claim 23, wherein all of said teeth are substantially uniform.

27. The bonding washer of claim 26, wherein all of said teeth have a substantially smooth distal edge.

28. The bonding washer of claim 27, wherein all of said teeth have a substantially circular distal edge.

29. The bonding washer of claim 27, wherein each pair of aligned teeth define a hole through said body.

30. The bonding washer of claim 23, wherein said first and second sets of teeth comprise plural pairs of substantially aligned, diverging teeth.

31. The bonding washer of claim 23, wherein said body additionally comprises a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to said plane of said body.

32. The bonding washer of claim 23, wherein the teeth of said at least one pair of substantially aligned, diverging teeth initially project in the same direction from said first face of said body, and a first portion of said body carrying one tooth of said pair is folded back against a second portion of said body carrying the other tooth of said pair to place said pair of teeth in a substantially aligned, diverging configuration.

33. A method of making a bonding washer comprising the steps of:

a) providing a metal body member;

b) forming a first set of teeth, numbering one or more, in a first region of said body member, said first set of teeth having substantially annular distal edges and extending away from said body member in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body member;

c) forming a second set of teeth, numbering one or more, in a second region of said body member, said second set of teeth having substantially annular distal edges and extending away from said body member in said first direction substantially perpendicular to said plane of said body member; and

d) folding said body member to substantially align at least one tooth of said second set of teeth with a tooth of said first set of teeth so that the thereby substantially aligned teeth extend in opposite directions away from said body member substantially perpendicular to said plane thereof.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of forming an opening in said body member through which a fastener can extend.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of bending a plurality of portions of said body member out of said plane thereof to form a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to said plane.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of bending a plurality of portions of said body member out of said plane thereof to form a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to said plane.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of forming a first set of teeth comprises forming said first set of teeth with substantially circular distal edges.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of forming a second set of teeth comprises forming said second set of teeth with substantially circular distal edges.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the step of forming a first set of teeth comprises forming said first set of teeth with substantially circular distal edges.