Methods and apparatus for retaining a fastener receiver

• US 9,939,005 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Foenander, Jason Jeremy, Birch, Andrew, Garcia, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Delisle, Roberta S
• Application Number:
  US15/189,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20170370394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 411103, 411111, 411112-113
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/403 Arrangement of fasteners specially adapted therefor, e.g. of clips
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/26 Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 25/0021 the material being metal, e.g. sheet-metal or aluminium F16B25/0031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 33/002 Means for preventing rotation of screw-threaded elements F16B39/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/042 locking by rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/044 Nut cages
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/284 Locking by means of elastic deformation F16B39/2825, F16B39/36, F16B39/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/025 specially designed to compensate for misalignement or to eliminate unwanted play

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for retaining a fastener receiver are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a retainer to retain a nut assembly adjacent an object. The retainer includes a first plate defining a first opening. The first plate is to couple to the object. The first opening is to receive a portion of the nut assembly when the retainer is coupled to the object. The retainer includes a second plate defining a second opening and including a first deflectable tab adjacent the second opening. The second plate is to couple to the first plate opposite the object. The deflectable tab of the second plate is to cover a portion of the first opening of the first plate. The first deflectable tab is to deflect to receive and retain the portion of the nut assembly in the first opening when the retainer is coupled to the object.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a retainer to retain a nut assembly adjacent an object, the retainer including;

a first plate defining a first opening, the first plate to couple to the object, the first opening to receive a portion of the nut assembly when the retainer is coupled to the object; and

a second plate defining a second opening and including a first deflectable tab adjacent the second opening, the second plate to couple to the first plate opposite the object, the deflectable tab of the second plate to cover a portion of the first opening of the first plate, the first deflectable tab to deflect to receive and retain the portion of the nut assembly in the first opening when the retainer is coupled to the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deflectable tab is defined by a groove that extends from the second opening of the second plate, the groove defines a gap between the deflectable tab and a body of the second plate that increases as deflectable tab deflects to enable the nut assembly to enter the first opening of the first plate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second plate includes a second deflectable tab adjacent the second opening, the first deflectable tab located on a first side of the second opening, the second deflectable tab located on a second side of the second opening opposite the first side.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first deflectable tab extends in a first direction and the second deflectable tab extends in a second direction opposite the first direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first plate defines a first cavity and a second cavity of the first opening, the first deflectable tab aligns with the first cavity and the second deflectable tab aligns with the second cavity when the first plate is coupled to the second plate, the first and second cavities to receive protrusions of the nut assembly to limit rotation of the nut assembly when the retainer retains the nut assembly.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first deflectable tab and the second deflectable tab extend in opposing directions to enable a first of the protrusions to rotate past the first deflectable tab into the first cavity and a second of the protrusions to rotate past the second deflectable tab into the second cavity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first deflectable tab is to deflect to enable the nut assembly to be removed from the retainer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plate and the second plate define apertures spaced apart from the first opening and the second opening, the apertures to receive fasteners to couple the first plate and the second plate of the retainer to the object.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first plate and the second plate are detachably couplable to the object via the fasteners to enable at least one of the first plate, the second plate, or the nut assembly retained in the retainer to be repaired or replaced.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apertures extend along a plane that is parallel to and spaced apart from a center axis of the first and second openings.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a fastener receiver including a first protrusion; and

a retainer to retain the fastener receiver adjacent an object, the retainer including;

a first portion defining a first opening, the first portion to couple to the object, the first opening to contain a portion of the fastener receiver when the retainer is coupled to the object; and

a second portion coupled to the first portion, the second portion defining a second opening and including a first flexible portion that is adjacent the second opening, the first flexible portion is to deflect in a first direction to receive the first protrusion of the fastener receiver in the first opening and is to deflect in a second direction opposite the first direction to enable removal of the fastener receiver from the first opening.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first flexible portion includes a deflectable tab and a gap defined between the deflectable tab and a body of the second portion, the gap having a first width less than a second width of the first protrusion to enable the deflectable tab to retain the first protrusion in the first opening to enable the retainer to retain the fastener receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first portion is a first plate and the second portion is a second plate, the first plate and the second plate define apertures through which fasteners extend to couple the first plate and the second plate.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fastener receiver includes a first portion having the first protrusion and a second portion spaced apart from the first portion along an axis of the fastener receiver, the first portion is disposed in the first opening and the second portion extends through the second opening when the fastener receiver is retained by the retainer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first opening of the retainer is wider than the first portion of the fastener receiver and the second opening is wider than the second portion of the fastener receiver to enable the fastener receiver to be positioned in the retainer, the first portion of the fastener receiver is wider than the second opening to enable the retainer to retain the fastener receiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first opening includes a first cavity that aligns with the first flexible portion, the first cavity to receive the first protrusion of the fastener receiver, the first flexible portion to retain the first protrusion in the first cavity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first portion of the retainer includes a wall defining the first cavity that is to engage the first protrusion to limit rotation of the fastener receiver when the fastener receiver is retained in the retainer to enable the fastener receiver to threadably receive a fastener.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the fastener receiver includes a second protrusion spaced apart from the first protrusion, the second portion of the retainer includes a second flexible portion spaced apart from the first flexible portion, and the first opening defined by the first portion of the retainer includes a second cavity spaced apart from the first cavity, the second flexible portion is to deflect to receive and retain the second protrusion in the second cavity.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for retaining a nut adjacent an object, the means for retaining including;

means for containing the nut adjacent the object; and

means for deflecting coupled to the means for containing, the means for deflecting to deflect in a first direction to enable the means for containing to receive the nut, the means for deflecting to deflect in a second direction opposite the first direction to enable removal of the nut from the means for containing.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for containing includes means for limiting rotation of the nut to enable the nut to threadably receive a fastener when retained in the means for retaining.