Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Chrysler Corporation

Buell Industries, Inc.

James F Norkus

William J Curley, Jr

Carol P Pavur

James A Head

Lawrence W Galloway

William F Hartery

Steven W Bonnell

Randy Michael Bugnacki

Dennis Harper

An elongated T-nut fastener is formed from a single piece of material. The fastener includes a barrel and a flange, with a threaded portion in the barrel and an unthreaded portion beyond the threaded portion. Fastening sites are provided at spaced locations along the length of the fastener.

Long barrel T-nut

A shock mount assembly is provided, which generally includes a spacer and a thimble. The spacer includes a spacer flange and a spacer tube projecting from the spacer flange. The spacer tube includes an inwardly projecting shoulder having an inner diameter. The thimble includes a metal thimble base having a flange and an internally threaded post projecting from the flange. The threaded post has at least one hole passing through a wall thereof. The thimble also includes a plastic hollow thimble stem. The stem includes at least one hole passing through a wall of the lower portion thereof, the hole having a leg extending inwardly from one of the walls thereof. The leg includes a radially inwardly extending tab sized, shaped and positioned to engage the hole passing through the wall of the threaded post in a snap fitted arrangement when the threaded post is inserted into the stem. The stem also includes projecting from a top end thereof a plurality of fingers spaced about a periphery thereof. Each of the fingers has an outwardly projecting portion defining a circumferential lip having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the shoulder of the spacer tube of said spacer. The stem is telescopically receivable in the spacer tube such that when the stem is fully inserted in the spacer tube, the lip engages the shoulder in a snap fitted

Shock mount assembly with polymeric thimble tube

A cage for a cage fastener includes a base and sides, with a flap integral with one side bendable to be disposed in spaced relation to the base and overlying the base. A distal edge of the flap and a distal edge of one of the sides define a cooperating locking structure whereby the position of the flap relative to the side can be secured, with a fastener positioned between the flap and the base.

Locking cage fastener

A mounting plate is provided having at least one protuberance protruding from a face thereof. A bumper is molded around the mounting plate such that an end of the protuberance extends out from the bumper. A mounting cup is also provided having a recess sized and shaped to correspond with the periphery of the lower portion of the bumper, the recess having at least one hole corresponding to the protuberance, and having a means for attaching the jounce bumper assembly to a frame, which means is independent of the protuberance. The bumper is snugly received in the recess such that the end of the protuberance passes through the hole. Relative sliding between the bumper and the mounting cup is inhibited by the snug fit therebetween. The end of the protuberance is then deformed radially outwardly such that the bumper is fixed within the recess of the mounting cup.

Method for manufacturing a jounce bumper assembly

An improved cage nut assembly for attachment to a frame, which includes a channel therein adapted to receive the caged nut assembly is provided. The caged nut assembly includes a fastener body having a female connector therein and a retainer for encaging the fastener body. The retainer provides a limited range of movement of the fastener body in at least one direction and has cutouts therein sized and adapted to allow access to the female connector within the range of movement of the fastener body. At least one detent extends from a surface of the retainer, which detents are sized and shaped to correspond to at least one notch in the channel of the frame. The detents are biased toward a normal position, but are movable against the bias such that as the caged nut assembly is forced into the channel of the frame, the detents are moved against the bias until the detents are positioned adjacent to the notches in the channel, at which point the detents are biased into the notches, thereby securing the caged nut assembly within the channel. Thus, during a crash situation, the detents may be moved against the bias and the caged nut assembly may be moved within the channel in the frame.

Caged nut assembly

A jounce bumper assembly for cushioning the impact between two components of an automotive suspension system is provided. The jounce bumper assembly includes a mounting plate with at least one, but preferably two, substantially tubular proturbances protruding from a face thereof. A bumper is molded from a microcellular polymeric material around the mounting plate such that the ends of the proturbances extend out from the bumper. The bumper is disposed within a mounting cup having a recess sized and shaped to receive the bumper. The recess has holes passing therethrough corresponding to the proturbances such that the ends of the proturbances pass through the holes. The ends of the proturbances passing through the holes are deformed radially outwardly such that the bumper is fixed within the recess of the mounting cup. A method of manufacturing such a jounce bumper assembly is also provided.

Jounce bumper assembly

An improved shock isolating mount for securing a body part of a vehicle to a support is provided. The shock mount includes a two-part spool having: a spacer formed from an annular flange integral with a tube, the tube projecting through apertures in mating elastically resilient bodies and a mounting part of a vehicle body part disposed between them; and a thimble, formed from a flange integral with a tube designed such that the thimble tube can telescope into the spacer tube. The thimble tube is formed into a polygon shape at the tube shoulder adjacent the thimble flange and the spacer tube is formed in a matching polygon shape such that the thimble tube shoulder can mate with the spacer tube. The thimble tube has an enlarged end which is engaged by a plurality of inward protrusions mounted in the spacer tube to prevent the spacer and thimble assembly from accidental engagement. The thimble tube is internally threaded to engage a threaded fastener inserted through the support, through the spool tube, and into the thimble tube. Passing through the thimble flange surrounding the thimble tube are a plurality of perforations. Although the perforations preferably take the form of circular holes, they may be formed as elongated slots, curved elongated slots, or any of numerous other shapes, which extend through the thimble flange. The perforations are preferably equally spaced radially about the thimble tube.

Breakaway shock isolating mount

An improved snap-in metal plug for closing either a flat or flanged opening in a sheet metal panel or the like. The plug, in one embodiment, includes a circular disc formed with three co-planar tongues extending radially outwardly from the plug principal axis, with each tongue disposed about a radial center line of symmetry. Each tongue terminates in a radially outer fold line, disposed normal to its associated center line, formed by an underlying reverse folded ply. The ply terminates in a radially inner right angle bend juncture from which projects a single downstanding finger defining opposite vertical side edges. Each side edge has an upper tang struck outwardly and upwardly therefrom defining an upper tang free end. Upon the plug being seated in a flat opening, each upper tang has its upper end locked, in a snap-in manner, juxtaposed the panel interior surface. A lower prong, struck outwardly and upwardly from each finger and symmetrically disposed about a radial plane of symmetry, includes its associated tongue center line. Upon the plug being seated in the panel flanged opening, each finger has its upper tang biased into contact with the flanged opening interior wall, and whereby each lower tang upper free end is locked, in a snap-in manner, juxtaposed the downstanding flange under-edge.

Universal snap-in metal plug

An improved shock isolating mount is provided that permits selection of either a high or a low separation strength. The shock mount comprises interfitting flanged spacer and thimble members and resilient rings mounted thereto. The thimble is formed from a hollow plastic stem and a metal base. The metal base includes a flange and an internally threaded post. The thimble stem fits over and snaps onto the post. The metal base member is made in either a high strength or low strength configuration. Selection of the appropriate configuration of base member provides a shock mount assembly of the desired separation strength.

Shock mount assembly

A nut plate retainer comprises a planar body, nut elements, and at least two orienting tabs. The tabs are formed from and extend parallel to the body. One tab has a locking element having a ramped leading edge and a cutaway trailing edge for snap engagement with an opening in a workpiece. The tabs fit into slots in the workpiece and the nut plate can be moved until the locking element snaps into place in the opening. The nut plate retainer is thereby mounted to the workpiece, and is prevented from rotation or displacement.

Growing community of inventors

Waterbury, CT, United States of America

James F Norkus