JP5745193B2 - Screw fastener with locking - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a screw fastener with a locking mechanism, and more specifically, to a locking nut that includes a wound spring or a spring strip as a locking element.

  The locking nut may include a wound spring or a spring strip as a locking element. Typically, the locking element includes one end that is bent and secured radially outward relative to the nut, for example, where the bent end fits within the slot of the nut. In a state of loosening torque, the nut creates a tensile load on the locking element, which causes the locking element to tighten its grip and prevent unintentional relative rotation (ie, loosening). During tightening (i.e. during mounting), the anti-loosening element is subjected to an opposite force, compression, which causes the anti-loosening element to loosen its grip, thereby reducing the mounting torque relatively low. Become.

  This locking system usually requires special tools or other means that allow the nut to be removed. However, some locking nuts do not require special tools, for example as disclosed in the following document. In addition, as the above-mentioned document, US Patent No. 8,021,093 granted to Campau on September 20, 2011, US Patent Application No. 12/880 filed on September 13, 2010 by Campau , 580, and US patent application Ser. No. 13 / 113,357, filed May 23, 2011 by Campau. The locking nut disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 113,357 includes a locking element that slides at a controlled removal torque.

  Unfortunately, the through slot in the mentioned locking nut allows dust, grease and other foreign objects to enter the locking nut through the through slot. These foreign substances may increase or decrease the locking force of the locking spring depending on the foreign objects. Such changes can cause the locking nut to become unsuitable for the intended use.

  The presently disclosed locking nut provides improved structure and function over conventional locking nuts. This new locking nut improves the performance while maintaining the simplicity of the conventional locking nut. Therefore, this new locking nut provides an improved balance of simplicity, cost and performance.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the locking nut includes a nut body, a locking element and a holding portion. The locking element is (a) circumferentially surrounded by the nut body without interruption, and (b) at least partially covered by the holding part in the axial direction. The locking nut includes a first recess and a second recess. A first tongue in the locking spring is located in the first recess, and a second tongue in the locking spring is positioned in the second recess. The locking element and these recesses are dimensioned so that the second tongue comes into contact with the wall of the second recess when a predetermined amount of removal torque is applied to the locking nut. This contact limits the tension applied to the locking element so that (1) the removal torque can be controlled and (2) the locking element is not damaged.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the locking element includes a winding portion and two tongues extending from the winding portion. The locking element is located in the nut body and is circumferentially surrounded by the nut body without interruption. The first tongue is fixed relative to the nut body, thereby preventing angular movement of the first tongue relative to the nut body. A holding part at least partially covers the locking element in the axial direction, thereby protecting it from dust, grease and other foreign objects. The retaining cover can have a diameter that corresponds to the outer diameter of the threaded member, and a locking nut is attached to the threaded member to seal the retaining cover against the threaded member. The retaining portion can have elasticity to enhance the seal against the threaded member.

  These and other advantages and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the embodiments and the drawings.

It is a perspective view of 1st Embodiment of a fastener with a locking stopper. It is a top view of 1st Embodiment in the state in which the holding cover was removed and the removal torque was applied to the fastener with a locking | loosening prevention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment with the holding cover and the locking element removed. It is a top view of the locking element of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first embodiment aligned with a threaded member. It is a perspective view of 2nd Embodiment of a fastener with a locking stopper. It is a top view of 2nd Embodiment in the state from which a holding cover is removed and the removal torque is not applied to the fastener with a locking | loosening prevention. It is a perspective view of 2nd Embodiment of a state in which the holding cover and the locking element were removed. FIG. 6 is a top view of the second embodiment with the holding cover and the locking element removed. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a second embodiment aligned with a threaded member. It is a perspective view of 3rd Embodiment of a fastener with a locking stopper.

  Before describing embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the details of operation, details of construction, or arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Point out that. The invention may be incorporated into various other embodiments and may be practiced or practiced in other ways not expressly disclosed herein. It should also be pointed out that the expressions and terms used herein are for the purpose of explanation and should not be taken as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof includes the elements listed before these terms and equivalents, as well as additional elements and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the use of counting should not be construed as limiting the invention to any particular order or number of components. Further, the use of enumeration is to be interpreted as excluding any additional methods and components that may be combined or incorporated into the enumerated methods or components from the scope of the present invention. Should not.

I. First Embodiment A locking fastener with locking device constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and generally indicated at 40. Although shown as a locking nut or a locking nut in FIGS. 1-5, the concepts of the present invention can be incorporated into a variety of fasteners as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

  The screw fastener 40 includes a body 42 and a locking element, a locking spring or a locking band 44. The body 42 includes a hexagonal outer portion 46 configured to be engaged and operated by a conventional drive tool (not shown). The hexagonal portion 46 includes a plurality of corner portions 48 and a plurality of flat portions 50 extending between the corner portions. Instead of doing this, the body 42 may be square, another polygon, or any other shape. Also, the body 42 may be shaped to be engaged by any of the currently known conventional drive tools and any future drive tools that will be developed.

  The body 42 defines a hole 52 that is at least partially threaded along the length of the hole 52. Perhaps best shown in FIG. 3, the hole 52 includes a first portion 54 that is threaded and a second portion that is not threaded, a pocket, a recess or retaining wall 56. including. The diameter of the unthreaded portion 56 is greater than the diameter of the threaded portion 54. A lower hole edge 60 separates the first portion 54 and the second portion 56.

  The body 42 further defines a first recess or fixed recess 62 that communicates with the hole 52 and a second recess or release recess 64 that communicates with the hole 52. Alternatively, one or both of the recesses 62, 64 may be defined by the holding portion 90. The first recess 62 and the second recess 64 are defined inside the main body 42, so that the first recess 62 and the second recess 64 are isolated from the surrounding environment of the fastener main body 42.

  The locking band 44 is a wound or continuous curved portion having a circular cross section extending between a first tongue or first end portion 72 and a second tongue or second end portion 74. 70. Although shown with a circular cross-section, other cross-sectional shapes including squares, rectangles, ovals, triangles and any other suitable shape are also contemplated.

  In the present embodiment, the first tongue or first end portion 72 and the second tongue or second end portion 74 are straight, but other shapes including smooth curves and chevron shapes are also contemplated. As is probably best shown in FIG. 4, both tongues 72, 74 extend tangentially outward from the curved portion 70. As also shown in FIG. 4, the locking band member 44 can include a single turn with the first tongue 72 overlapping the second tongue 74. Instead of this, the locking band member 44 may include less than one turn, or may include two or more spiral turns so that adjacent turns are in substantial contact with each other. . When the locking band 44 includes less than one turn, the locking band 44 may extend entirely in one plane oriented perpendicular to the hole 52, or extend in a spiral. May be. As shown in FIG. 4, the locking band 44 can be symmetrical for ease of manufacture.

  The diameter of the circular cross section of the locking member 44 generally corresponds to the pitch of the male threaded member 45, so that the locking band 44 fits within the threads of the threaded member 45. In the locking band member having a non-circular cross section, the dimension of the surface that engages with the thread of the threaded member 45 may be smaller than the pitch of the threaded member or may be substantially the same as this pitch. May be larger.

  A tangently extending tongue 72 is received and restrained in the first recess 62 in the fastener body 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the first recess 62 has a side wall portion 80 that suppresses the movement of the first tongue 72 relative to the fastener body 42 in the angular direction. For example, the side surface of the first tongue 72 can contact the side wall portion 80 while the fastener body 42 rotates in the attachment direction, that is, in the clockwise direction, and during the removal direction, that is, in the counterclockwise direction. The first recess 62 can include a notch 66 to allow the side of the first tongue 72 to fit so that the side of the first tongue 72 fits tightly to the sidewall 80. The first recess 62 may have an end wall portion 82 instead of or in addition to the side wall portion 80, and the end wall portion 82 may be the first wall portion during rotation of the fastener body 42. It engages with the end face of the tongue 72 of the. The end wall portion 82 may be substantially perpendicular to the side wall portion 80 as illustrated, or may be inclined with respect to the side wall portion 80. By optional selection, the first recess 62 is configured to engage the corners of the first tongue 72 or any other suitable surface while the fastener body 42 is rotating. be able to. As shown in FIG. 2, the side wall 80 of the first recess is oriented generally tangential to the hole 52 to receive a tangential tongue 72. As a result, the tongue 72 is fixed in the angular direction with respect to the fastener body 42.

  The second tongue 74 of the locking band member 44 extends into the second recess 64. Normally, the second tongue 74 can freely rotate in the angular direction with respect to the main body 42 in the second recess 64. However, as will be described below and shown in FIG. 2, the second tongue 74 is located on the wall 84 of the second recess while the fastener body 42 is rotating to remove or counterclockwise. Can be contacted, which limits the angular movement of the second tongue 74 relative to the fastener body 42.

  Although shown as two recesses 62, 64, the body 42 alternatively defines a combination from the recesses and / or surfaces to receive each of the tongues 72, 74. Can be made.

  Attachment of the screw fastener 40 onto the male threaded member 45 in the first direction, generally the clockwise direction, stretches the locking band 44 so that the locking band 44 is threaded. It does not interfere or interfere with the movement of the screw fastener 40 above. However, rotation of the screw fastener 40 in the removal direction, generally counterclockwise, acts to pull the locking band 44 firmly against the male thread, thereby causing the screw fastener 40 to vibrate, for example, vibration. Effectively prevents unnecessarily, unintentionally or unexpectedly loosening.

  The locking band member 44 allows the screw fastener 40 to be loosened as required if sufficient torque is applied to the fastener body 42. When the fastener body 42 is rotated in the second direction, that is, counterclockwise with sufficient torque, the first tongue 72 restrained in the angular direction by the first recess 62 is elastically warped. This in turn allows the fastener body 42 to rotate through a small angle relative to the cleat 44. As shown in FIG. 2, this rotation forces the second tongue 74 extending tangentially from the winding portion 70 to contact the wall 84 of the second recess in the nut body 42. As shown, if this contact may occur between the end face of the second tongue 74 and the corner of the second recess 64, the angular orientation of the second tongue 74 relative to the fastener body 42 will be described. It may occur between any two surfaces that suppress movement. This contact may reduce or eliminate any increase in stress in the locking element 44 when a removal torque is applied to rotate the fastener 40 off the male threaded member 45. As a result, there is little or no damage to either the male thread or the locking element 44. The second recess 64 can be designed to control the removal torque to a preset level or a preselected level by allowing the movement of the second tongue 74 to a predefined extent.

  When the removal torque is applied and the strip 44 is elastically warped, a small amount of sliding of the first tongue 72 along the side wall 80 of the first recess occurs. This free movement in the tangential direction may reduce or eliminate the tension of the strip 44 and ensure a smooth operation without wear over many reuses. When the fastener 40 is not engaged with the male screw at all, the band member 44 returns to its original position due to elasticity.

  The diameter of the locking band 44 can be selected such that a single locking band 44 can be used with all male thread grades within a specific mounting screw diameter. A single cleat 44 can slide along the sidewall 80 of the first recess so that it can be “self-adjusted” to at least partially match various thread grades. I understood that I could do it. Alternatively, different locking strips 44 can be designed to be used with different mounting screw diameters or different male thread grades within a specific mounting screw diameter. Further, the cross-sectional shape, material strength, and elasticity of the locking band 44 can be selected based on the desired application.

  Fastener body 42 and locking band 44 may be made from any suitable material including metals and composite materials. In addition, since the stress of the locking band member 44 during use of the screw fastener 40 is small, the locking band material 44 can be manufactured from a relatively low cost material such as a round steel wire. .

  The screw fastener 40 includes a retaining portion 90. The holding portion 90 can be an integral part of the fastener body 42. Alternatively, the holding portion 90 can be separated from the fastener body 42 and extend from the fastener body 42. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the retaining portion 90 at least partially houses the locking strip 44 and isolates the locking strip 44. The retaining portion 90 can include a first lip edge 92 for supporting the second tongue 74 and a retaining wall 56 for engaging the winding 70. A second lip edge 94 can be defined by the retaining wall 56 and can be adapted to support and engage the retaining cover 96. Further, the retaining ring edge 98 can support and engage the retaining cover 96. As shown, the retaining ring edge 98 can extend substantially parallel to the hole 52. The retaining ring edge 98 can optionally include an outer flange lip edge to hold the retaining cover 96 with a snap fit. Further optionally, the retaining cover 96 can be formed over the entire ring edge 98. As shown in the figure, the holding cover 96 can conceal and protect the loosening prevention band member 44 from the surrounding environment of the fastener 40. If the retaining ring edge 98 is made high enough to provide the desired level of protection to the clasp 44, the retaining cover 96 can be eliminated.

  The holding cover 96 can have a variety of suitable shapes including cylindrical and washer-like shapes as shown. The holding cover 96 can be sized according to the application. For example, the inner diameter of the retaining cover 96 can be slightly larger than the threaded member 45 so that there is a gap through which the threaded member 45 passes completely through the retaining cover 96. By optional selection, the inner diameter of the retaining cover 96 can be sized to interact closely with the threads of the threaded member 45. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the holding cover 96 can be made smaller than that of the threaded member 45 by arbitrary selection. The retaining cover 96 can be made of any suitable material including metals, composite materials, and flexible materials. In particular, if the inner diameter of the holding cover 96 is smaller than the threaded member 45, the holding cover 96 seals against the threaded member 45 to prevent dust and debris from entering the holding portion 90. It can be made of a flexible material (eg, an elastomer).

  The attachment of the locking band member 44 can be accomplished in several ways. In the present embodiment, the band member 44 is attached by sufficiently pushing the band member 44 so as to be snapped into a predetermined place in the holding portion 90. After the strip 44 is in place, the retaining cover 96 can be attached using a snap fit, a friction fit, an adhesive, or any other suitable securing mechanism. By optional selection, the retaining cover 96 can be formed over the entire retaining ring edge 98. Further, by arbitrarily selecting, the locking band member 44 can be wound around a predetermined place.

  The locking torque includes the initial diameter of the locking band, the material characteristics of the locking band, the coefficient of friction of the locking band, the number of turns of the locking band, and the shapes of the first and second recesses 62 and 64. And can be a function of many variables including size. In addition, parameter tolerances will affect the range of locking torque for a particular configuration. Therefore, the parameters of the locking band 44 are such that each mounting screw diameter and tolerance range provides a sliding torque that is less than the ultimate strength of the locking band 44 while providing an acceptable range of locking torque. Can be selected. In addition, the locking torque can be set to meet or exceed the relevant industry standards. The present locking screw fastener 40 includes a unidirectional pre-leveling torque that significantly reduces the mounting torque when compared to standard pre-leveling torque screw fasteners. Make it possible. In addition, the removal pre-belting torque of the locking device for fasteners for loosening is less likely to suffer deterioration over many uses when compared to a normal fastener with locking devices.

II. Second Embodiment A locking fastener with locking device constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6-10 and generally indicated at 140. The screw fastener 140 is similar in structure and function to the screw fastener 40 described so far. Thus, each element of the screw fastener 140 is identified by the same sign as the corresponding element of the screw fastener 40, except that the sign begins with 1. For example, the locking band member 144 of the screw fastener 140 corresponds to the locking band material 44 of the screw fastener 40. Only the significantly different elements are described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the screw fastener 140 includes a first recess 162 and a second recess 164 having a size and shape different from the recesses 62 and 64 of the first embodiment. Different recesses 162, 164 can provide different removal torques for the screw fastener 140. For example, the recesses 162, 164 are configured to allow the loosening strip 144 to expand so that the two tongues 172, 174 are expanded parallel to each other. Contours including different curves of the second recess 164 can also result in different interactions between the second tongue 174 and the second recess wall 184, producing different locking torques. be able to. As shown in FIG. 8, the first recess 162 can extend completely to the lower hole edge 160. As shown in FIG. 1, the retaining ring edge 198 can be made shorter than the first embodiment to give the retaining portion 190 a relatively low profile.

III. Third Embodiment A screw fastener with locking device constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. The screw fastener 240 is similar in structure and function to the screw fastener 40 described so far. Thus, each element of the screw fastener 240 is identified by the same sign as the corresponding element of the screw fastener 40, except that the sign begins with 2. Only the significantly different elements are described below.

  The screw fastener 240 includes a cover 296 that surrounds the locking element 244. As shown in FIG. 11, the cover 296 includes a lip edge portion 220 and a cover portion 222. To accommodate a portion of the threaded member 245 that extends through the screw fastener 240, the cover portion 222 can extend away from the lip edge portion 220. The length that the cover portion 222 extends away from the lip edge portion 220 can be designed to accommodate various sizes of threaded members 245. The cover portion 222 can be any of a variety of shapes including a substantially cylindrical shape as shown in FIG.

The above description is that of the current embodiment of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The spirit and broader aspects of the present invention described above should be construed in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for purposes of illustration and is not to be construed as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention, but rather is illustrated or described in connection with any embodiment of the invention. And is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claims to those elements. For example and without limitation, any individual element (s) of the described invention may be replaced by a substitute element that provides substantially similar functionality or otherwise provides proper operation. be able to. This may include, for example, currently known replacement elements (such as elements that may be currently known to those skilled in the art), and alternative elements that may be developed in the future (such as those skilled in the art may recognize as replacements during development). Etc.). Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that may be described in concert and that may result in a collaborative collection. The invention is limited only to the disclosed embodiments, including all of the features described above, and to the full disclosed advantages, unless explicitly stated in the claims. It is not a thing. “Vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, The terms indicating directions such as “inwardly”, “outer”, “outwardly”, “clockwise”, and “counterclockwise” are It is used to help explain the present invention based on the orientation of the embodiment shown in the drawings. The use of directional terms should not be construed to limit the invention to any particular orientation or orientations. Any reference to a claim element in the singular, for example using the articles “a”, “an”, “the” (or “said”) or “said” (or above), is expressly stated in the claims. If not stated, it should not be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as in the appended claims.

Claims (11)

In screw fasteners with locking devices,
A fastener body having a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion defining a hole, the fastener body further having a lip edge defined by a wall of the fastener body in the unthreaded portion. And the fastener body defines first and second recesses that open through the lip edge and communicate with the hole, the first and second recesses surrounding the fastener body. The fastener body isolated from the environment;
A single locking element including a winding portion and first and second tongues extending from the winding portion, wherein the locking element is located in the hole, and the first and second tongues are Extending into each of the first and second recesses to engage the fastener body during rotation of the fastener body, and the locking element is circumferentially surrounded by the fastener body without interruption, A locking element;
A retaining portion that at least partially covers the locking element, holds the locking element in the hole, and holds the first and second tongues in the first and second recesses, respectively. Screw fastener with locking.   The screw fastener with a locking device according to claim 1, wherein the first tongue and the second tongue extend substantially tangentially from the winding portion. The screw holder with a locking device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the holding portion is snap-fitted into the fastener body. The screw fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holding portion has elasticity. The screw fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the holding portion is not interrupted so as to completely cover the locking element. Said first tongue is fixed to said angular orientations with respect to the fastener body, the second tongue, in any one of claims 1-5 having a moving range of the angle direction with respect to the fastener body The screw fastener with the described locking device.   The second recess includes a second recess wall, and the second tongue is adapted to contact the second recess wall while loosening the locking screw fastener. 6. A screw fastener with a locking device according to 6. The first recess includes a first recess wall, and the first tongue is adapted to contact the first recess wall while tightening and loosening the locking screw fastener. A screw fastener with a locking device according to claim 6 or 7 . The screw holder with a locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the holding portion includes a holding lip edge portion that holds the locking device. The screw holder with a locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the holding portion defines an opening having an inner diameter corresponding to a diameter of the threaded portion of the hole.   11. The screw fastener with locking device according to claim 10, wherein the holding portion is elastic and is adapted to seal against a screw member on which the screw fastener with locking device is mounted. .

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