System and methods for positioning of two or more interacting elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10786289-B2
Application number	US-201515325822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A plate including elements for receiving threads of a fastener element such that the fastener element may be positioned close, if not flush, to a surface of the plate allowing placement of the assembly much closer to a joint than previous known methods and without interfering with the function of a joint.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for maximizing connection strength between two interacting elements, comprising:
a first interacting element including a body component and a thread component, wherein the thread component has an upper thread surface, a lower thread surface, an outer thread surface, and the thread component is positioned at least partially around a core body element in a helical shape;
a second interacting element including a thread receiving element configured to receive the thread component; and
the thread component having a cross-sectional thread profile, wherein an outer lateral portion of the thread profile has a greater distance between the upper and lower thread surfaces in comparison to the distance between the upper and lower thread surfaces of an inner lateral portion of the thread, thereby maximizing the connection strength between the two interacting elements.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thread receiving element is positioned in an outer peripheral surface of the second interacting element.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive a portion of the thread component that forms less than a full helical turn.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive only half of a helical turn of the thread component.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive a portion of the thread component that forms only a third of a helical turn.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive a portion of the thread component that forms only a fourth of a helical turn.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper thread surface, lower thread surface, and outer thread surface form the profile of the thread component.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the thread profile of the thread component is larger near the termination end surface relative to the thread profile of the thread component near the origination end surface.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thread receiving element includes an upper receiving surface, an inner receiving surface, and a lower receiving surface, which together form a thread receiving profile, and the thread receiving profile is smaller near the receiving termination end relative to the receiving origination end of the thread receiving element.

10. A system for maximizing connection strength between two interacting elements, comprising:
a first interacting element including a body component and a thread component, wherein the thread component at least partially encircles the body component,
the thread component having a thread origination end and a thread termination end;
a second interacting element including a helical-shaped thread receiving element configured to receive the thread component, the thread receiving element having a receiving origination end configured to permit entry of the thread component and a receiving termination end;
the thread origination end having a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional opening of the receiving origination end or the receiving termination end having a cross-sectional opening less than a cross-sectional area of the thread termination end to impede continued rotation of the thread component with respect to the second interacting element.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the thread receiving element is positioned in an outer peripheral surface of the second interacting element.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive a portion of the thread component that forms less than a full helical turn.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive a portion of the thread component that forms only half of a helical turn.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive a portion of the thread component that forms only a third of a helical turn.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive a portion of the thread component that forms only a fourth of a helical turn.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the thread component includes an upper thread surface, an inner thread surface, and a lower thread receiving surface, which together form the thread profile.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the thread receiving element includes an upper receiving surface, an inner receiving surface, and a lower receiving surface, which together form a thread receiving profile.

18. A system for maximizing connection strength between two interacting elements, comprising:
a first interacting element, the first interacting element including a core body element and a thread component is positioned around the core body element in a generally helical shape;
the thread component having a cross-sectional thread profile comprised of an upper thread surface, a lower thread surface, an outer thread surface;
a second interacting element, the second interacting element having a main body defined by an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer peripheral surface that adjoins the upper and lower surfaces and establishes an outer lateral boundary of the second interacting element;
an aperture disposed through the upper and lower surfaces of the main body, the aperture also passing through the outer peripheral surface of the main body resulting in the aperture having a semicircular shape; and
a thread receiving element disposed within the aperture, wherein the thread receiving element is configured to receive the thread component, such that a region of the first interacting element, that is diametrically opposed from a region of the thread component received within the thread receiving element when the first interacting element engages the second interacting element, remains exposed to an ambient environment.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the thread profile of the thread component is larger near the termination end surface relative to the thread profile of the thread component near the origination end surface.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the thread receiving profile is smaller near the receiving termination end relative to the receiving origination end of the thread receiving element.

Assignees

• Univ Colorado Regents

Inventors

• Patel Vikas
• Nanninga Jay

Classifications

• A61B17/8057 Primary

  the interlocking form comprising a thread · CPC title