Lightning protective seal cap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10858117-B2
Application number	US-201916245601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A lightning protective seal cap comprising a seal cap that defines an interior, and a quantity of an uncured sealant that is curable by the application of actinic radiation so as to bind the seal cap to a fastener. The interior of the seal cap contains the quantity of uncured sealant, the seal cap is positionable over the fastener such that at least a portion of the fastener resides in the interior of the seal cap, and when the seal cap is in position over the fastener, the sealant containing seal cap prevents electrical arcing to the fastener from a lightning strike.

First claim

We claim:

1. A seal cap comprising:
a seal cap which defines an interior; and
a quantity of an uncured sealant that is curable by the application of actinic radiation so as to bind the seal cap to a fastener,
wherein the interior of the seal cap contains the quantity of uncured sealant, the seal cap is positionable over the fastener such that at least a portion of the fastener resides in the interior of the seal cap, and when the seal cap is in position over the fastener, the sealant containing seal cap prevents electrical arcing to the fastener from a lightning strike,
wherein the uncured sealant is translucent or transparent to the extent that the average light transmission through one millimeter of the uncured sealant in the 360-750 nm wavelength range is at least 20%.

2. A protected fastener construction comprising:
a fastener; and
the seal cap according to claim 1 ,
wherein the seal cap is positioned over the fastener such that at least a portion of the fastener resides in the interior of the seal cap, the uncured sealant contained in the interior of the seal cap is in a cured state to form a cured sealant that binds the seal cap to the fastener, and the sealant containing seal cap prevents electrical arcing to the fastener from a lightning strike.

3. The protected fastener construction according to claim 2 wherein the fastener protrudes from a first surface of a substrate article and wherein every portion of the fastener which protrudes from the first surface of the substrate article is covered by cured sealant or seal cap or both.

4. The protected fastener construction according to claim 3 wherein said first surface is an interior surface of a fuel container of an aircraft.

5. The protected fastener construction according to claim 2 wherein the sealant was cured by the application of actinic radiation.

6. A protected fastener construction comprising:
a fastener; and
a shaped cured sealant that is shaped to form a seal cap,
wherein the shaped cured sealant is positioned over and encloses at least a portion of the fastener, the shaped cured sealant is bound to the fastener, and the shaped cured sealant prevents electrical arcing to the fastener from a lightning strike.

7. The protected fastener construction according to claim 6 wherein the fastener protrudes from a first surface of a substrate article and wherein every portion of the fastener which protrudes from the first surface of the substrate article is covered by cured sealant.

8. The protected fastener construction according to claim 7 wherein said first surface is an interior surface of a fuel container of an aircraft.

9. The protected fastener construction according to claim 6 wherein the shaped cured sealant is translucent or visibly transparent.

10. The protected fastener construction according to claim 6 wherein the sealant comprises a mixture of a polymer and a nanoparticulate curative.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Zook Jonathan D
• Hebert Larry S
• Swan Michael D
• Ye Sheng
• Demoss Susan E
• Wright Robin E

Classifications

• F16B33/004 Primary

  Sealing; Insulation (by means of washers F16B43/001) · CPC title

• F16B33/00

  Features common to bolt and nut · CPC title

• B64D45/02

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• B64D37/06 Primary

  Constructional adaptations thereof · CPC title

• B64D37/02

  Tanks (tanks constructed integrally with aircraft wings B64C3/34) · CPC title