Screw cover and seal

• US 8,641,345 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary Zack, Robert R. Laviolette
• Original Assignee: Gary Zack, Robert R. Laviolette
• Inventors: Zack, Gary, Laviolette, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US13/331,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 4113725-373, 411/377
• US Class Current: 411/377
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 25/0031 the screw being designed to be screwed into different materials, e.g. a layered structure or through metallic and wooden parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/14 Cap nuts; Nut caps or bolt caps

Abstract

A dome-shaped aluminum screw cover is adapted to be placed over the head of a self-tapping concrete screw that is used to fasten a metal structure to concrete on a house or building. A concave inner surface of the screw cover provides a space between the cover and the screw head for receiving a charge of silicone adhesive that bonds the cover to the metal structure and screw head, while also providing a watertight seal around the screw head that minimizes entry of moisture and corrosion of the screw. The screw cover is preferably of the same color as the metal structure so as to reduce its visibility while effectively concealing the unsightly screw head.

Claims

1. A low profile mounting assembly comprising:

a metal structural member for mounting to a concrete structure and including an outer face and at least one countersunk bore formed therethrough;

a screw including a head with a flat top, and said screw being structured and disposed for passage through the countersunk bore of the metal structural member and into the concrete structure for fastening the metal structural member to the concrete structure, and the countersunk bore and the screw head being congruently sized and configured for seated receipt of the screw head within the countersunk bore so that the flat top of the screw head is flush with the outer face of the metal structural member;

a screw cover having a concave inner surface and an oppositely disposed convex outer surface and a peripheral edge surrounding the concave inner surface and being structured and disposed for mating engagement with the outer face surrounding the countersunk bore of the metal structural member, and the screw cover further having a cavity defined by an entire space between a plane of the peripheral edge and the concave inner surface;

a charge of water resistant adhesive completely filling the cavity of the screw cover, and the charge of adhesive serving to adhere the screw cover to the flat top of the screw and the outer face of the structural member surrounding the countersunk bore to conceal the screw head from view and seal the screw and countersunk bore from exposure to moisture; and

the convex outer surface of the screw cover having a color that matches a color of the outer face of the metal structural member to thereby reduce visibility of the screw cover.

2. The low profile mounting assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the edge of the screw cover is a circular edge.

3. The low profile mounting assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the charge of water resistant adhesive is a charge of silicone adhesive.