Earth bolt
An earth bolt is capable of achieving electrical connection and watertight sealing and of holding fragment of a coating so that the fragments of coating may not be scattered. The earth bolt can be electrically connected to a member coated with an insulating film. The earth bolt has a head and a threaded body. The head is provided on its bearing surface with an annular ridge protruding from the bearing surface of the head so as to coaxially surround the threaded body and capable of scraping off the insulating film.
1. An earth bolt capable of coming into electrical contact with a member coated with an insulating film, said earth bolt having a head and a threaded body, wherein an annular ridge capable of scraping off the insulating film is formed in the bearing surface of the head so as to surround the threaded body,
wherein a first annular groove capable of holding fragments of the insulating film scraped off by the annular ridge is formed in the bearing surface of the head contiguously with the outer side of the annular ridge,
the threaded body is provided with protrusions protruding radially outward from the crests of turns of the screw thread and capable of scraping off a second insulating film coating the internal screw thread of a nut with which the threaded body is to be engaged and
when the earth bolt is turned for tightening, the annular ridge protruding from the bearing surface of the head fractures and removes part of the insulating film coating the member and the continuous annular ridge seals a part inside the annular ridge in a watertight fashion.
2. The earth bolt according to claim 1 , wherein a second annular groove capable of holding fragments of the insulating film scraped off by the annular ridge is formed in the bearing surface of the head contiguously with the inner side of the annular ridge.
3. The earth bolt according to claim 2 , wherein the annular ridge has a triangular cross section, a second side of the triangular cross section on the other side of the vertex of the triangular cross section is the generator of the outer slope of the second annular groove.
4. The earth bolt according to claim 1 , wherein an outer part of the bearing surface extending outside the first annular groove protrudes more than an inner part of the bearing surface extending inside the first annular groove toward a plane perpendicular to the axis of the threaded body and containing the tip of the threaded body.
5. The earth bolt according to claim 1 , wherein the annular ridge has a triangular cross section, a first side of the triangular cross section on one side of the vertex of the triangular cross section is the generator of the inner slope of the first annular groove.
6. The earth bolt according to claim 1 , wherein a secondary annular ridge of a height lower than the annular ridge is formed in the bearing surface.
7. The earth bolt according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are formed on the crest of each turn of the screw thread so as to be arranged on a spiral about the axis of the threaded body.
8. The earth bolt according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are bulges formed on opposite sides of each of depressions formed, respectively, by pressing parts of the crest of each turn of the screw thread of the threaded body.