Procedure for panel assembly and device associated thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9533719-B2
Application number	US-201113994665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2011
Priority date	Dec 17, 2010
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

Procedure for the assembling between at least two panels, and a device associated thereto, where said procedure is carried out through at least a single operator or machine, and comprises the following steps: receiving at least two panels, where said panels comprise respectively at least one through hole; introducing an assembling device comprising a nut and a screw, through the respective hole of each panel; turning the device around the same side where it was introduced previously, in such a way that the nut and the screw rotate jointly, until the device comes into contact with at least one blocking element, and the joint movement of the nut with the screw is stopped; and next the nut and the screw are brought mutually closer together, in such a way that both panels are assembled.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device configured to hold at least two panels together, the panels respectively including non-circular through holes, the device comprising:
a screw having a head and a cylinder that is at least partially threaded;
a nut engaged into the threaded portion of the screw cylinder; and
a panel support component including a planar surface, wherein the device is configured such that the planar surface abuts one of the two panels during holding of the at least two panels together, wherein
the device is configured such that the panel support is freely engaged onto the screw cylinder, and located between the screw head and the nut such that the planar surface is normal to a direction of extension of the cylinder,
the planar surface has an outer perimeter that restricts passage of the panel support through said holes of the panels,
the panel support component comprises, in a face opposite to the screw head, a plurality of first flanges which engage into the internal contour part of at least one of said holes preventing the panel support from rotating, and
collectively, outer faces of the plurality of first flanges form a general square shape.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first flanges are monolithic with the portion of the panel support that forms the planar surface.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the nut, the screw and the panel support are symmetrical about two planes normal to each other and parallel to a longitudinal direction of extension of the cylinder.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the screw includes a flange located opposite the head, wherein the flange of the screw is configured to prevent extraction of the nut from the device.

5. An assembly, comprising:
the device of claim 1 ; and
the two panels, wherein the device holds the two panels together, and
at least one of the two panels has a rectangular hole.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first flanges are elongate components having an “L” shape cross section lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis, respective concave portions of the “L” facing a longitudinal axis of the device.

7. A device configured to hold at least two panels together, the panels respectively including non-circular through holes, the device comprising:
a screw having a head and a cylinder that is at least partially threaded;
a nut engaged into the threaded portion of the screw cylinder; and
a panel support component including a planar surface, wherein the device is configured such that the planar surface abuts one of the two panels during holding of the at least two panels together, wherein
the device is configured such that the panel support is freely engaged onto the screw cylinder, and located between the screw head and the nut such that the planar surface is normal to a direction of extension of the cylinder,
the planar surface has an outer perimeter that restricts passage of the panel support through said holes of the panels,
the panel support component comprises, in a face opposite to the screw head, a plurality of first flanges which engage into the internal contour part of at least one of said holes preventing the panel support from rotating, and
the plurality of first flanges include at least four first flanges spaced uniformly about a longitudinal axis of the device.

8. A device configured to hold at least two panels together, the panels respectively including non-circular through holes, the device comprising:
a screw having a head and a cylinder that is at least partially threaded;
a nut engaged into the threaded portion of the screw cylinder; and
a panel support component including a planar surface, wherein the device is configured such that the planar surface abuts one of the two panels during holding of the at least two panels together, wherein
the device is configured such that the panel support is freely engaged onto the screw cylinder, and located between the screw head and the nut such that the planar surface is normal to a direction of extension of the cylinder,
the planar surface has an outer perimeter that restricts passage of the panel support through said holes of the panels,
the panel support component comprises, in a face opposite to the screw head, a plurality of first flanges which engage into the internal contour part of at least one of said holes preventing the panel support from rotating, and
the plurality of first flanges are elongate components having an “L” shape cross section lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein:
the panel support component can make part of the nut.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein:
collectively, outer faces of the plurality of first flanges form a general square shape.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein:
the nut and the screw can rotate relative to the panel support while the plurality of flanges are in at least one hole of the panels.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein:
the device is configured such that the nut is not removable from the screw.

13. An assembly, comprising:
the device of claim 8 ; and
the two panels, wherein the device holds the two panels together.

Assignees

• Tejero Salinero Isaac
• Randez Perez Jesus J
• Ostergren Christian Albert
• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Tejero Salinero Isaac
• Randez Perez Jesus J
• Ostergren Christian Albert

Classifications

• F16B37/044

  Nut cages · CPC title

• F16B41/002

  Measures against loss of bolts, nuts or pins (devices for fastening nuts to surfaces F16B37/04) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49948

  Multipart cooperating fastener [e.g., bolt and nut] · CPC title

• B62D65/02

  Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components · CPC title

• B62D27/065 Primary

  using screwthread (connection of crossbeam to A- pillars B62D25/147; mounting load bearing surfaces B62D21/09; securing mudguards B62D25/163; connections for synthetic parts B62D29/048) · CPC title