IP Library Granted Patent US 7,766,592
Granted Patent B2
US 7,766,592 · App. 11/584,210 · Granted Aug 3, 2010

Screw nut for torque limiting, and the use of such a screw nut in a retainer module for limiting the clamping force

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,766,592
App. No.
11/584,210
Granted
Aug 3, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present application describes to a screw nut for limiting the torque or the clamping force that is produced by screwing a screw onto a component to be screwed into place, as well as to the use of such a screw nut in a retainer module. The screw nut comprises a clamping body which during screwing comes to rest against the component to be screwed into place. Furthermore, the screw nut comprises a screw body, by means of which the screw nut can be screwed onto the screw. The clamping body and the screw body are movably arranged between an unlocked position and a locked position so that when a defined clamping force is exceeded the unlocked position is taken up, with a restoring force continuously acting against this state transition.

Claims (52)

1. A screw nut for limiting a torque or a clamping force that is produced by screwing a screw onto a component to be fastened, comprising:

a clamping body which, during screwing, comes to rest against the component to be screwed;

only a single screw body with an internal thread, for screwing the screw nut onto the screw; and

a spring element;

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body are movably arranged in axial direction of the internal thread between an unlocked position and a locked position,

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body in the locked position engage each other, having positive fit, by way of a positive-locking mechanism, and

wherein when a defined clamping force is exceeded, the unlocked position where the clamping body and the single screw body disengage each other is taken up, with a restoring force continuously acting against this state transition, the restoring force generated by the spring element between the clamping body and the screw body.

2. The screw nut of claim 1 , wherein the clamping body and the screw body are arranged coaxially in relation to each other.

3. The screw nut of claim 1 , wherein the clamping body comprises a through aperture in which it accommodates the screw body.

4. The screw nut of claim 1 , wherein the spring element is arranged as one spring element from the group of spring elements consisting of a helical spring, rubber spring, leaf spring, saucer spring and an air spring.

5. The screw nut of claim 1 , wherein the spring element extends between a first abutment surface on the clamping body and a second abutment surface on the screw body.

6. The screw nut of claim 5 , wherein the first abutment surface is a ring shoulder located in the through aperture of the clamping body, and wherein the second abutment surface is a ring flange that circumferentially encloses the screw body in a collar-like manner.

7. A screw nut for limiting a torque or a clamping force that is produced by screwing a screw onto a component to be fastened, comprising:

a clamping body which, during screwing, comes to rest against the component to be screwed; and

only a single screw body with an internal thread, for screwing the screw nut onto the screw;

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body are movably arranged in axial direction of the internal thread between an unlocked position and a locked position,

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body in the locked position engage each other, having positive fit, by way of a positive-locking mechanism, and

where in use with other additional but unclaimed elements, when a defined clamping force is exceeded, the unlocked position where the clamping body and the single screw body disengage each other is taken up, with a restoring force continuously acting against this state transition,

wherein the positive-locking mechanism comprises an internal cone that extends coaxially in the through aperture of the clamping body and comprises first positive-locking means, and the positive-locking mechanism comprises an external cone that circumferentially encloses the screw body and comprises second positive-locking means, and wherein the internal cone and the external cone plunge into each other in the locked position so that the first positive-locking means and the second positive-locking means engage each other having positive fit.

8. A screw nut for limiting a torque or a clamping force that is produced by screwing a screw onto a component to be fastened, comprising:

a clamping body which, during screwing, comes to rest against the component to be screwed; and

only a single screw body with an internal thread, for screwing the screw nut onto the screw;

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body are movably arranged in axial direction of the internal thread between an unlocked position and a locked position,

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body in the locked position engage each other, having positive fit, by way of a positive-locking mechanism,

where in use with other additional but unclaimed elements, when a defined clamping force is exceeded, the unlocked position where the clamping body and the single screw body disengage each other is taken up, with a restoring force continuously acting against this state transition, and

wherein the clamping body is of a cylindrical design whose main axis extends so as to be perpendicular to the axial direction of the internal thread of the screw body.

9. A screw nut system comprising:

a screw nut in a retainer module for affixing lines of different thicknesses, the screw nut for limiting a torque or a clamping force that is produced by screwing a screw onto a component to be fastened, the screw nut including:

a clamping body which, during screwing, comes to rest against the component to be screwed; and

only a single screw body with an internal thread, for screwing the screw nut onto the screw;

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body are movably arranged in axial direction of the internal thread between an unlocked position and a locked position,

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body in the locked position engage each other, having positive fit, by way of a positive-locking mechanism, and

where in use with other additional but unclaimed elements, when a defined clamping force is exceeded, the unlocked position where the clamping body and the single screw body disengage each other is taken up, with a restoring force continuously acting against this state transition;

a basic body with at least one bearing surface for accommodating a line, as well as an abutment surface for attaching the basic body to a structural component;

at least one traverse, arranged as a balance arm, with at least one counter-bearing surface that is movably positioned in relation to the basic body such that the line as a result of movement of the at least one traverse, is affixable in at least one degree of freedom between the at least one bearing surface of the basic body and the at least one counter-bearing surface of the at least one traverse;

at least one screw that movably connects the at least one traverse to the basic body, and which screw is arranged to cause the at least one traverse to move in the direction of the basic body,

wherein the clamping body of the screw nut comprises a cylindrical external contour by means of which it is fitted into a correspondingly designed cylindrical aperture in the middle of the balance arm so that the balance arm can be rocked in relation to the bearing surface of the basic body for the purpose of affixing a line, and

wherein the screw is screwed into the internal thread of the screw body of the screw nut so that when a defined torque is exceeded the unlocked position is taken up.

10. A screw nut for limiting a torque or a clamping force that is produced by screwing a screw onto a component to be fastened, comprising:

a clamping body which, during screwing, comes to rest against the component to be screwed; and

only a single screw body with an internal thread, for screwing the screw nut onto the screw;

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body are movably arranged in axial direction of the internal thread between an unlocked position and a locked position,

wherein the clamping body and the single screw body in the locked position engage each other, having positive fit, by way of a positive-locking mechanism, and

where in use with other additional but unclaimed elements, when a defined clamping force is exceeded, the unlocked position where the clamping body and the single screw body disengage each other is taken up, with a restoring force continuously acting against this state transition, and

wherein the positive-locking mechanism comprises a plurality of slots that engage with a plurality of ridges or teeth.

11. A screw nut for limiting a torque or a clamping force that is produced by screwing a screw onto a component to be fastened, comprising:

a clamping body;

only a single screw body having an internal thread; and

a spring;

wherein the clamping body, the single screw body, and the spring are axially movably arranged between an unlocked position and a locked position of the screw nut;

wherein in the locked position, the spring is positioned to bias the single screw body into engagement with the clamping body, and wherein in the unlocked position, obtained when a defined clamping force of the spring is exceeded, the single screw body disengages from the clamping body.

12. The screw nut of claim 11 , wherein the defined clamping force of the spring is exceeded by sufficient force acting on the internal threads of the single screw body.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 31, 2011
From: AIRBUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
To: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 026360/0849 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2007
From: ZEUNER, LUTZ; KOSIANKOWSKI, LUEDER; GUTHKE, HANS-PETER
To: AIRBUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 018762/0844 →