Clearance floating anchor nut

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10975904-B2
Application number	US-201816123088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 26, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A floating anchor nut configured to receive a bolt is described. The floating anchor nut comprises a plate having a bolt aperture and retention features for retaining a nut. The floating anchor nut additionally comprises the nut that itself comprises an internally threaded body and a flange extending from an outer surface of the body, the nut being retained through interaction of the flange with the retention features, the retention features allow limited parallel displacement with respect to a plane of the plate. The flange is positioned along the body so that at least a portion of the body is counter-sunk into the bolt aperture of the plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a first component having a first hole;
a second component adjacent to the first component, the second component having a second hole, the first and second component being arranged such the first hole is adjacent to and aligned with the second hole;
a floating anchor nut configured to receive a bolt, the floating anchor nut comprising:
a plate; and
a nut,
wherein:
the plate has a bolt aperture and retention features for retaining the nut; and
the nut comprises:
a body that is internally threaded; and
a flange extending from an outer surface of the body, the nut being retained through interaction of the flange with the retention features, the retention features allow for limited parallel displacement with respect to a plane of the plate,

wherein the flange is positioned along the body so that at least a portion of the body is counter-sunk into the bolt aperture of the plate;
wherein the plate is fastened to the second component such that the bolt aperture is aligned with the second hole, and wherein a portion of the body of the nut extends through the bolt aperture; and

a bolt having a threaded shaft which extends through the first and second holes and is received in the internally threaded body, whereby the first component and the second component are fastened together;
wherein the second component includes a counter-bore aligned with the second hole, the plate is fastened to the second component such that the bolt aperture is aligned with the counter-bore and wherein a portion of the body of the nut protrudes through the bolt aperture and is accommodated in the counter-bore.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body of the nut is generally cylindrical and the bolt aperture is a circular aperture having a diameter larger than the diameter of the body.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the body is displaceable within an annular region of clearance in the bolt aperture.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flange is provided partway along the body such that a distal end portion of the body protrudes from one side of the flange and a proximal end portion of the body protrudes from the other side of the flange.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the flange is provided less than halfway along the length of the body from a distal end.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the flange is provided around a third of the way along the length of the body from the distal end.

7. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the internal thread of the body in the distal end portion has been deformed.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the internal thread of the body in the distal end portion has been ovalized.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plate has a first retention feature and a second retention feature arranged on opposite sides of the bolt aperture that interact with the flange.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plate has a first opening and a second opening each configured to receive a fastener, wherein the first opening has a first lip and the second opening has a second lip.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the flange has a first recess configured to provide room for the first lip and/or a fastener received in the first opening, and a second recess configured to provide room for the second lip and/or a fastener received in the second opening.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the threaded shaft extends through the body and protrudes by at least two full thread pitches beyond the body.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly is an air cooled oil cooler assembly of a gas turbine engine.

14. A method of joining a first component having a first hole to a second component having a second hole using a floating anchor nut to form the assembly of claim 1 , wherein the floating anchor nut is configured to receive a bolt, the floating anchor nut comprising a plate and a nut, wherein:
the plate has a bolt aperture and retention features for retaining the nut; and
the nut comprises:
a body that is internally threaded; and
a flange extending from an outer surface of the body, the nut being retained through interaction of the flange with the retention features, the retention features allow for limited parallel displacement with respect to a plane of the plate,
wherein the flange is positioned along the body so that at least a portion of the body is counter-sunk into the bolt aperture of the plate;

wherein the method comprises:
providing a counter-bore in the second component aligned with the second hole;
fastening the plate to the second component so that the portion of the body of the nut protrudes through the bolt aperture and is partially accommodated in the counter-bore;
aligning the first component with the second component;
passing a threaded shaft of a bolt through the first hole, through the second hole and into engagement with a proximal end of the nut, wherein the threaded shaft of the bolt is brought into engagement with a proximal end of the nut within the counter-bore; and
tightening the bolt to a predetermined tensile load to fasten the first component to the second component.

Assignees

• Hs Marston Aerospace Ltd

Inventors

• Whalley Stephen

Classifications

• F16B37/044 Primary

  Nut cages · CPC title

• F16B39/026

  by swaging the nut on the bolt, i.e. by plastically deforming the nut · CPC title

• F16B37/046 Primary

  with resilient means for urging the nut inside the channel · CPC title