Mounting systems for structural members, fastening assemblies thereof, and vibration isolation systems including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9410596-B2
Application number	US-201113289815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2011
Priority date	Nov 4, 2011
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Mounting systems for structural members, fastening assemblies thereof, and vibration isolation systems including the same are provided. Mounting systems comprise a pair of mounting brackets, each clamped against a fastening assembly forming a mounting assembly. Fastening assemblies comprise a spherical rod end comprising a spherical member having a through opening and an integrally threaded shaft, first and second seating members on opposite sides of the spherical member and each having a through opening that is substantially coaxial with the spherical member through opening, and a partially threaded fastener that threadably engages each mounting bracket forming the mounting assembly. Structural members have axial end portions, each releasably coupled to a mounting bracket by the integrally threaded shaft. Axial end portions are threaded in opposite directions for permitting structural member rotation to adjust a length thereof to a substantially zero strain position. Structural members may be vibration isolator struts in vibration isolation systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fastening assembly comprising:
first and second seating members each having a cylindrical section, an annular abutting section that extends radially inward from the cylindrical section and an annular wall adjacent to the cylindrical section, with a first through opening defined through an inner peripheral edge of the annular abutting section, and the second seating member having a plurality of anti-rotation tabs spaced apart along the annular wall and extending from the annular wall in a longitudinal direction, the plurality of anti-rotation tabs having free ends extending toward the first seating member, the free ends received in corresponding slots in at least one side of a mounting bracket against which the first seating member is configured to abut, the corresponding slots defined in the at least one side of the mounting bracket to be in communication with the cylindrical section of the first seating member, and the plurality of anti-rotation tabs and the slots form a locking assembly that substantially prevents the rotation of the mounting bracket relative to the fastening assembly;
a spherical rod end comprising a spherical member and an integrally threaded shaft, the spherical member disposed between the first and second seating members and having a second through opening that is substantially coaxial with the first through openings in the first and second seating members, the second through opening in the spherical member and the first through opening in the first and second seating members forming substantially coaxial first and second through openings, the plurality of anti-rotation tabs having a length configured to receive the spherical member between the first and second seating members; and
a partially threaded fastener for passing through the substantially coaxial through openings to secure the spherical rod end and the partially threaded fastener clamps the first and second seating members on opposite sides of the spherical member in facing relation to form a rigid assembly with substantially zero clearance between the spherical member and the first and second seating members of the fastening assembly and the mounting bracket, and substantially prevents micro-motion between the fastening assembly and the mounting bracket.

2. The fastening assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fastening assembly is adapted to be in a clamped configuration with the mounting bracket forming a mounting assembly and the integrally threaded shaft is adapted to be in threaded engagement with an axial end portion of a structural member, the mounting assembly having angular misalignment compensation capability provided by a radial clearance defined by the partially threaded fastener passing through the substantially coaxial first and second through openings, and the integrally threaded shaft having a smaller diameter than a diameter of the seat formed between the first and second seating members.

3. The fastening assembly of claim 1 , wherein the partially threaded fastener has an exposed engagement portion adapted to receive a rotation tool for tightening and releasing the partially threaded fastener.

4. The fastening assembly of claim 1 , wherein the annular sections are formed substantially at the center of the cylindrical sections.

5. A mounting system for a structural member, the mounting system comprising:
a mounting bracket and an opposed mounting bracket, each of the mounting bracket and the opposed mounting bracket having at least one side with an internally threaded opening;
a first fastening assembly clamped against the mounting bracket forming a first mounting assembly and a second fastening assembly clamped against the opposed mounting bracket forming a second mounting assembly, each of the first and second fastening assemblies comprising:
a spherical rod end comprising a spherical member having a first through opening and an integrally threaded shaft; and
first and second seating members on opposite sides of the spherical member in facing relation and each having a cylindrical section, an annular abutting section that extends radially inward from the cylindrical section and an annular wall adjacent to the cylindrical section, with a second through opening defined through an inner peripheral edge of the annular abutting section that is substantially coaxial with the first through opening in the spherical member forming substantially coaxial first and second through openings;

the first seating member of the first fastening assembly disposed between the mounting bracket and the second seating member of the first fastening assembly;
the second seating member of the first fastening assembly having a plurality of anti-rotation tabs spaced apart along the annular wall and extending from the annular wall in a longitudinal direction, the plurality of anti-rotation tabs having free ends extending toward the first seating member in the first fastening assembly, the plurality of anti-rotation tabs-received in corresponding slots in the at least one side of the mounting bracket against which the first seating member is configured to abut and forms a locking assembly that substantially prevents the rotation of the mounting bracket relative to the first fastening assembly, the corresponding slots defined in the at least one side of the mounting bracket to be in communication with the cylindrical section of the first seating member and the plurality of anti-rotation tabs having a length configured to receive the spherical member between the first and second seating members of the first fastening assembly;
each of the first and second fastening assemblies including a partially threaded fastener; and
wherein the partially threaded fastener of the first fastening assembly extends through the substantially coaxial first and second through openings thereof and into the internally threaded opening of the mounting bracket and clamps the first and second seating members and the spherical rod end of the first fastening assembly against the mounting bracket and forms the first mounting assembly with substantially zero clearance between the spherical member and first and second seating members of the first fastening assembly and the mounting bracket of the first mounting assembly to substantially prevent micro-motion between the first fastening assembly and the mounting bracket, and the partially threaded fastener of the second fastening assembly extends through the substantially coaxial first and second through openings thereof and into the internally threaded opening of the opposed mounting bracket and clamps the first and second seating members and the spherical rod end of the second fastening assembly against the opposed mounting bracket and forms the second mounting assembly with substantially zero clearance between the spherical member and the first and second seating members of the second fastening assembly and the opposed mounting bracket to substantially prevent micro-motion between the second fastening assembly and the opposed mounting bracket, the first and second mounting assemblies forming a pair of mounting assemblies.

6. The mounting system of claim 5 , wherein the mounting bracket and the opposed mounting bracket comprise a three-dimensional body having a substantially flat bottom surface for attaching to a mounting surface of a vibration isolation system and the least one side includes a recessed portion for receiving a rear portion of the first seating member in the first and second mounting assemblies.

7. The mounting system of claim 5 , wherein the structural member has a longitudinal axis with a first threaded axial end portion and a second threaded axial end portion, wherein the first threaded axial portion is releasably coupled to the mounting bracket of the first mo

Assignees

• Young Ken
• Hindle Timothy
• Barber Tim Daniel
• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Young Ken
• Hindle Timothy
• Barber Tim Daniel

Classifications

• F16C2361/00

  Apparatus or articles in engineering in general · CPC title

• F16F9/54

  Arrangements for attachment {(grommet-type rubber mounting springs per se F16F1/3732; construction of cylinder ends F16F9/3242; attachments to vehicles B60G13/001, B60G15/00)} · CPC title

• F16M11/18

  with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand · CPC title

• F16F15/04 Primary

  using elastic means (single elements or their attachment F16F1/00 - F16F13/00); {(F16F15/023, F16F15/03 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F16M11/121

  constituted of several dependent joints · CPC title