Bonding fastener with environmental seals

• US 8,777,538 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sure-Bond Fasteners LLC
• Original Assignee: Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Strizki, Michael, Snyder, Jason, Strizki, James
• Primary Examiner(s): DELISLE, ROBERTA S
• Application Number:
  US13/827,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20140072387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 411/326, 411/353, 411/366.1, 411/369, 411/371.1, 411/371.2, 411/372.6, 411500-501, 411/507, 411/542, 411/933, 411/961, 411/978
• US Class Current: 411/371.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 33/004 Sealing; Insulation by means of washers F16B43/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5219 Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal
• 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: H01R 4/28 Clamped connections, spring connections made by means of terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/304 having means for improving contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/70 Insulation of connections end caps H01R4/22

Abstract

A bonding fastener having two components which electrically bonds metallic surfaces through serrated metal teeth on the underside of the head of the first component and on the inside surface of the second component which embed into each metal surface as a fastener is tightened. In one embodiment, the fastener is a nut and bolt combination, and in another embodiment the fastener is a two-part rivet. A sealing material circumferentially outward from the teeth on both the first component and second component creates an air-tight and water-tight seal around the teeth, protecting the bonding location from air and water infiltration from the outside. The second component also has an internal seal, sealing around the shank of the first component to prevent axial infiltration of air or water along the shank and protecting the bonding locations from corrosion from contaminants entering along that route.

Claims

1. An electrically conducting fastener comprising:

a) a first component comprising a shank having two ends, with a head at one end, said head having an inner perimeter around the shank, an outer perimeter, and a facing surface with a plurality of teeth extending axially between the inner perimeter and outer perimeter;

an inner resilient seal on the facing surface of the head, located radially inward of the teeth and an outer resilient seal on the facing of the body, located between the teeth and the outer perimeter of the head; and

b) a second component comprising a metallic body, a central bore mating with the shank of the first component, and a surface having an inner perimeter around the central bore, an outer perimeter, and a plurality of teeth extending axially between the inner perimeter and outer perimeter;

an outer resilient seal on the surface of the body, located between the teeth and the outer perimeter of the flange and a resilient thread seal in the inner perimeter for sealing around the shank of the first component.

2. The fastener of claim 1, further comprising a bonding device comprising:

a metallic body having an upper surface, a lower surface, an inner perimeter surrounding a hole through which the threaded shank of the first component passes, an outer perimeter, and a plurality of teeth extending axially from the upper surface and the lower surface between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter;

an inner seal on the upper surface of the body, located radially inward of the teeth;

an inner seal on the lower surface of the body, located radially inward of the teeth;

an outer seal on the upper surface of the body, located between the teeth and the outer perimeter of the body; and

an outer seal on the lower surface of the body, located between the teeth and the outer perimeter of the body.

3. The fastener of claim 1, in which the second component further comprises an inner seal on the surface of the body, located radially inward of the teeth.

4. The fastener of claim 1, in which the outer seal of the first component is an o-ring.

5. The fastener of claim 1, in which the outer seal of the second component is an o-ring.

6. The fastener of claim 1, in which the first component is a bolt, and the second component is a nut, the shank of the first component having a plurality of threads and the barrel of the second component being threaded to mate with the threads on the shank of the first component.

7. The fastener of claim 1, in which the fastener is a two-part rivet, the first component is the rivet and the second component is a retaining ring, in which a central bore of the retaining ring is a press-fit on the shank of the rivet.

8. The fastener of claim 1, in which the fastener is a blind rivet set, in which:

the first component is the blind rivet, in which the shank is hollow, having a central bore;

the second component is a retaining ring, in which a central bore of the retaining ring is a sliding fit on the shank of the blind rivet; and

the first component further comprises a mandrel slideably received within the central bore of the shank, having an enlarged end adjacent the end of the shank which is opposite the head, a free end, and a length therebetween passing through the head of the blind rivet, such that when a rivet tool pulls on the free end of the mandrel, the enlarged end of the mandrel deforms the shank, thus tightening the fastener.

9. The fastener of claim 8, in which the end of the shank which is opposite the head is open, and the enlarged end of the mandrel is outside the blind rivet.

10. The fastener of claim 9, further comprising a shank seal inside the central bore of the hollow shank, sealing against the length of the mandrel.

11. The fastener of claim 8, in which the end of the shank which is opposite the head is closed, enclosing the enlarged end of the mandrel inside the shank of the blind rivet.

12. The fastener of claim 1, in which the second component further comprises an inner seal on the surface, radially inward from the teeth and radially outward from the inner perimeter.

13. The fastener of claim 1, in which the first component further comprises an inner seal on the surface, radially inward from the teeth and radially outward from the inner perimeter.

14. The fastener of claim 1, in which the first component further comprises a flange around the head.

15. The fastener of claim 1, in which the second component further comprises a flange around the body.