Conductive sleeved fastener assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10014593-B2
Application number	US-201615138524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Feb 4, 2013
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A conductive fastener assembly, system, and method, wherein the fastener assembly includes a fastener, a fastener sleeve, a nut, and a lubricant coating. The lubricant coating is deposited on a distal portion of a fastener shank and is omitted from the rest of the fastener. To overcome the stresses placed on the fastener sleeve by the insertion of the fastener shank largely devoid of a lubricant coating, the fastener sleeve is reinforced by one or more of an increased thickness, a high-strength alloy, and a soft metal coating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preparing a conductive sleeved fastening assembly for use, comprising:
providing a fastener having a fastener head, a fastener shank extending from said fastener head, and a fastener sleeve provided on said fastener shank and a fastener sleeve flare on said fastener sleeve, wherein said fastener sleeve is configured to extend through a first structure and a second structure;
depositing a lubricant coating on a distal portion of the fastener shank, wherein the lubricant coating is omitted from a proximal portion of the fastener shank and from the fastener head; and
applying a fay seal between the first structure and the second structure, wherein the fay seal is omitted from a horizontal area between the first structure and the second structure surrounding the fastener sleeve.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of reinforcing the fastener sleeve.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fastener head and the fastener sleeve flare are formed having a countersink configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
arranging an expanded metal foil on a top surface of said first structure.

5. A method of preparing a conductive sleeved fastening assembly for use, comprising:
providing a first structure, having an expanded metal foil arranged thereon;
providing a second structure; providing a fastener, configured to attach the first structure to the second structure, having a fastener head and a fastener shank extending from said fastener head, and a fastener sleeve provided on said fastener shank and a fastener sleeve flare on said fastener sleeve;
depositing a lubricant coating on a distal portion of the fastener shank, wherein the lubricant coating is omitted from a proximal portion of the fastener shank and from the fastener head; and
applying a fay seal between the first structure and the second structure, wherein the fay seal is omitted from a horizontal area between the first structure and the second structure surrounding the fastener sleeve.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising forming the fastener head and the fastener sleeve having a countersink configuration.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising reinforcing the fastener sleeve.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the lubricant is a solid film lubricant.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising applying a metal coating to the fastener sleeve.

10. A method of preparing a conductive sleeved fastening assembly, comprising:
providing a first structure;
arranging an expanded metal foil on the first structure;
providing a second structure;
attaching the first structure to the second structure with an electrically conductive fastener having a fastener head, a fastener shank extending from said fastener head, and a fastener sleeve being configured to receive said fastener shank; attaching a nut to a distal portion of the fastener shank;
depositing a lubricant coating on a distal portion of the fastener shank, wherein the lubricant coating is omitted from a proximal portion of the fastener shank and from the fastener head; and
applying a fay seal between the first structure and the second structure, wherein the fay seal is omitted from a horizontal area between the first structure and the second structure surrounding the fastener sleeve.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fastener sleeve comprises a fastener sleeve flare at a top end thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming the fastener head and the fastener sleeve flare to have a countersink configuration.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fastener sleeve has a wall thickness that is greater than or equal to 0.012 inches.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the fastener sleeve from a high-strength alloy.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising depositing a metal coating on the fastener sleeve.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising reinforcing the fastener sleeve.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the lubricant is a solid film lubricant.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Heeter Russell J
• Nguyen Thu A
• Ward John A
• Porter John R
• Wilkerson Jeffrey A

Classifications

• H01R4/304 Primary

  having means for improving contact · CPC title

• H01R43/16

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H01R4/308

  Conductive members located parallel to axis of screw · CPC title

• F16B2001/0064

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• B64D45/02 Primary

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title