Sealed fastener cap and related method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11674544-B2
Application number	US-202217718926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Apr 20, 2021
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A fastener cap system can include a rigid cap and a sealing member which forms a liquid barrier so moisture is impaired from entering a space under the rigid cap and/or around a fastener installed through it. The sealing member can include a central seal disposed on an upper surface of the cap, the seal extending beyond a head of a fastener, which extends through the cap and sealing member, so that moisture is impaired from entering the cap under the head. The sealing member can be above and below respective lowermost and uppermost cap surfaces so the cap system can be fed cleanly and efficiently through a cap feeder during installation via a tool. The sealing member, which can have a higher coefficient of friction than the rigid cap, thereby does not drag along a cap feeder and cause feeding issues. Related methods of manufacture and use are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener cap system comprising:
a rigid cap comprising:
a central axis;
an upper cap surface and an opposing lower cap surface;
an uppermost portion of the cap along the upper cap surface and a lowermost portion of the cap along the lower cap surface;
a central cap disc circumferentiating the central axis and extending outwardly therefrom to a cap perimeter flange;
a cap perimeter ring joined with the cap perimeter flange, the cap perimeter ring including a cap rim;
a first cap connector tab projecting outwardly from the cap rim;
a second cap connector tab projecting outwardly from the cap rim distal and opposite the first cap connector tab; and

a sealing member constructed from an elastomeric material and joined with the rigid cap.

2. The fastener cap system of claim 1 ,
wherein the sealing member comprises a central seal extending outwardly from the central axis, the central seal extending along the central cap disc, the central seal having an upper seal dimension greater than a head dimension of a head of a fastener configured to extend through the rigid cap and the sealing member.

3. The fastener cap system of claim 2 ,
wherein the rigid cap includes a cap perimeter flange that defines a recess,
wherein the cap perimeter flange includes an uppermost flange surface, which forms the uppermost portion of the rigid cap,
wherein the central seal is disposed in the recess,
wherein the central seal is disposed below the uppermost flange surface,
whereby the uppermost flange surface is configured to slide relative to and contact a portion of a cap feeder within which the fastener cap system moves toward a driving station of a tool, with the central seal being disposed below the uppermost flange surface so that the central seal does not contact the portion of the cap feeder.

4. The fastener cap system of claim 2 ,
wherein the sealing member comprises a seal perimeter ring disposed on the cap lower surface and extending along the cap perimeter ring to a seal rim, the seal rim being disposed adjacent the cap rim and configured to engage a substrate,
whereby the seal rim forms a first liquid barrier around the rigid cap so that moisture is impaired from entering a first space under the rigid cap between the lower cap surface and the substrate.

5. The fastener cap system of claim 1 ,
wherein the rigid cap defines a first passageway extending through the rigid cap from the upper cap surface to the lower cap surface,
wherein the sealing member is disposed adjacent at least one of the upper cap surface and the lower cap surface,
wherein the sealing member is joined with a secondary seal disposed adjacent the other of the at least one of the upper cap surface and the lower cap surface,
wherein the secondary seal and the sealing member are joined via a first sprue extending through the first passageway,
wherein the sealing member, secondary seal and the first sprue form a one piece monolithic unit.

6. The fastener cap system of claim 5 ,
wherein the rigid cap defines a second passageway extending through the rigid cap from the upper cap surface to the lower cap surface,
wherein the sealing member and the secondary seal are joined via a second sprue extending through the second passageway,
wherein the sealing member, secondary seal, first sprue and second sprue form the one piece monolithic unit.

7. The fastener cap system of claim 1 ,
wherein the upper cap surface defines a recess around the central axis,
wherein the sealing member includes a central seal disposed in the recess and directly joined with the central cap disc.

8. The fastener cap system of claim 7 ,
wherein the recess is bounded by a recess wall that curves around the central axis,
wherein the central seal includes an outer seal wall that is disposed adjacent the recess wall,
wherein the sealing member includes a secondary seal adjacent the lower cap surface, the secondary seal bounded by a secondary seal perimeter,
wherein the secondary seal perimeter extends farther radially outward from the central axis than the recess wall and outer seal wall.

9. The fastener cap system of claim 1 ,
wherein the sealing member includes a secondary seal joined with the lower cap surface,
wherein the secondary seal is bounded by a secondary seal perimeter and includes a secondary seal lowermost surface,
wherein the cap rim of the rigid cap forms the lowermost portion of the cap,
wherein the secondary seal lowermost surface is disposed a distance above the lowermost portion of the cap along the cap rim in a pre-installation mode,
whereby the cap rim is configured to slide relative to and contact a portion of a cap feeder within which the fastener cap system moves toward a driving station of a tool in the pre-installation mode, with the secondary seal lowermost surface being disposed above the lowermost portion of the cap along the cap rim so that the secondary seal does not contact the portion of the cap feeder in the pre-installation mode.

10. The fastener cap system of claim 9 ,
wherein the rigid cap is deformable such that upon installation of the fastener cap system relative to a substrate with a fastener in an installed mode, the secondary seal lowermost surface is disposed at a same level as the lowermost portion of the cap so as to engage the substrate simultaneously with the cap rim, thereby forming a seal around the fastener.

11. The fastener cap system of claim 1 ,
wherein the sealing member is disposed between the uppermost portion of the cap and the lowermost portion of the cap without extending beyond the uppermost portion of the lowermost portion of the cap in the pre-installed mode so that the fastener cap system can slide along a reference surface, with only at least one of the uppermost and the lowermost portion of the cap, but not the sealing member, engaging the reference surface,
wherein the cap rim engaging the reference surface has a first dynamic coefficient of friction that is less than a second dynamic coefficient of friction were the sealing member to engage the reference surface.

Assignees

• Nat Nail Corp

Inventors

• Colyn Christopher M
• Schwartzkopf Todd E A
• Vandenberg Roger A

Classifications

• F16B41/00

  Measures against loss of bolts, nuts, or pins; Measures against unauthorised operation of bolts, nuts or pins ({locking of screws, bolts or nuts F16B39/00;} seals G09F3/00) · CPC title

• F16B43/001 Primary

  for sealing or insulation · CPC title

• F16B41/005 Primary

  Measures against unauthorised operation of bolts, nuts or pins (F16B23/0007, F16B23/0061, F16B23/0069, F16B23/0076 and F16B31/02 take precedence; locks, keys E05B; for valves, taps or cocks F16K35/00; for pipe-joints with swivel-nuts F16L19/005) · CPC title

• E04D12/002

  Sheets of flexible material, e.g. roofing tile underlay · CPC title

• E04D5/145

  Discrete fastening means, e.g. discs or clips · CPC title