Coated fasteners with conforming seals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939004-B2
Application number	US-201615059608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Sep 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A pin member for a fastener includes an elongated shank having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a cylindrical shank portion having an outer surface, a head located at the first end of the elongated shank, the head including a bearing surface located on the bearing surface of the head, and a threaded portion located at the second end of the elongated shank. The pin member can be fully coated with a coating. A conformable seal element is attached to the pin member, which is adapted to fill the microscopic voids between the bearing surface of the head of the pin member and the surrounding structure under the axial load exerted by the fastener during installation. The seal element can be separate and distinct from the pin member. The seal element can be attached to the pin member for the sake of convenience, but the seal element can deform independently of the pin member and the surrounding structure in response to the forces exerted by the fastener.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener, comprising:
a pin member including an elongated shank having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a cylindrical shank portion having an outer surface, a head located at the first end of the elongated shank, the head including a face and a bearing surface located on the underside of the head and opposite the face, and a threaded portion located at the second end of the elongated shank; and
a seal element attached to the pin member and juxtaposed with the bearing surface of the head of the pin member, the seal element including a sealing portion having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a lip extending from the first side of the sealing portion and past the face of the head of the pin member.

2. The fastener of claim 1 , wherein the seal element is made of copper.

3. The fastener of claim 1 , wherein the lip extends angularly from the sealing portion.

4. The fastener of claim 3 , wherein the seal element includes a tubular portion extending axially from the second side of the sealing portion.

5. The fastener of claim 4 , wherein the seal element includes a thickness in a range of about 5 microns to about 100 microns.

6. The fastener of claim 1 , wherein the pin member includes a coating.

7. The fastener of claim 6 , wherein the coating is a metallic coating.

8. The fastener of claim 7 , wherein the metallic coating is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, and copper.

9. The fastener of claim 6 , wherein the coating is made from a material having an electrical conductivity higher than 20% SACS.

10. The fastener of claim 6 , wherein the head of the pin member is coated with the coating.

11. The fastener of claim 6 , wherein the outer surface of the cylindrical shank portion of the pin member is coated with the coating.

12. The fastener of claim 11 , wherein the head of the pin member is coated with the coating.

13. The fastener of claim 11 , wherein the threaded portion of the pin member is coated with the coating.

14. The fastener of claim 6 , wherein the pin member is fully coated with the coating.

15. In combination, a structure; and a fastener installed within the structure, the fastener including a pin member having an elongated shank with a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a cylindrical shank portion having an outer surface, a head located at the first end of the elongated shank, the head including a face and a bearing surface located on the underside of the head and opposite the face, and a threaded portion located at the second end of the elongated shank, and a seal element attached to the pin member and juxtaposed with the bearing surface of the head of the pin member, the seal element including a sealing portion having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a lip extending from the first side of the sealing portion and past the face of the head of the pin member.

16. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the seal element is made of copper.

17. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the lip extends angularly from the sealing portion.

18. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the seal element includes a tubular portion extending axially from the second side of the sealing portion.

19. The combination of claim 18 , wherein the seal element includes a thickness in a range of about 5 microns to about 100 microns.

20. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the pin member includes a coating.

21. The combination of claim 20 , wherein the coating is a metallic coating.

22. The combination of claim 21 , wherein the metallic coating is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, and copper.

23. The fastener of claim 20 , wherein the coating is made from a material having an electrical conductivity higher than 20% IACS.

24. The combination of claim 20 , wherein the head of the pin member is coated with the coating.

25. The combination of claim 20 , wherein the outer surface of the cylindrical shank portion of the pin member is coated with the coating.

26. The combination of claim 25 , wherein the head of the pin member is coated with the coating.

27. The combination of claim 25 , wherein the threaded portion of the pin member is coated with the coating.

28. The combination of claim 20 , wherein the pin member is fully coated with the coating.

29. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the structure includes a composite material.

30. The combination of claim 29 , wherein the structure is substantially made from the composite material.

31. The combination of claim 29 , wherein the structure is partially made from the composite material.

32. The combination of claim 15 , wherein the structure includes a metallic material.

33. The combination of claim 32 , wherein the metallic material is aluminum.

34. The combination of claim 32 , wherein the structure is made substantially from the metallic material.

35. The combination of claim 32 , wherein the structure is made partially from the metallic material.

Assignees

• Arconic Inc
• Arconic Inc

Inventors

• Kamal Manish
• Haylock Luke
• Mulazimoglu Hasim
• Liebscher Andreas
• Rizza Gregory
• Pinheiro Rodrigo
• Prachumsri Wudhidham

Classifications

• F16B43/00

  Washers or equivalent devices; Other devices for supporting bolt-heads or nuts (circlips F16B21/18; {for indicating tensile load F16B31/02; forming a whole with the bolt or nut F16B33/00; locking bolts or nuts by means of a fixed plate or ring, or washer-like resilient plates F16B39/10, F16B39/24}) · CPC title

• F16B35/06

  Specially-shaped heads (special shape in order to rotate the bolt F16B23/00 {; separate hook adaptors for bolts F16B43/025}) · CPC title

• F16B33/008 Primary

  Corrosion preventing means · CPC title

• F16B2019/045

  Coated rivets · CPC title

• F16B33/06

  Surface treatment of parts furnished with screw-thread, e.g. for preventing seizure {or fretting (corrosion preventing means F16B33/008; settable coatings for locking threaded members F16B39/225; deformable coatings for locking threaded members F16B39/34)} · CPC title