US 11,719,272 B2
Threaded fastener
Victor Truong, Chicago, IL (US); Michael C. Dill, Elk Grove Village, IL (US); Yongping Gong, Wilmette, IL (US); and Mark D. Latz, Oak Forest, IL (US)
Assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed by Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed on May 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/325,842.
Application 17/325,842 is a continuation of application No. 16/115,797, filed on Aug. 29, 2018, granted, now 11,035,399.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/633,181, filed on Feb. 21, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/558,084, filed on Sep. 13, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0270306 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16B 31/02 (2006.01); F16B 25/10 (2006.01); F16B 35/06 (2006.01); F16B 25/00 (2006.01); F16B 39/282 (2006.01)
CPC F16B 31/02 (2013.01) [F16B 25/106 (2013.01); F16B 35/06 (2013.01); F16B 25/0026 (2013.01); F16B 25/0068 (2013.01); F16B 39/282 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fastener comprising:
a shank having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end including a tip, the shank having a first longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end;
at least one helical thread formation integrally connected to and extending outwardly from the shank, wherein the at least one helical thread formation is configured such that (a) when the fastener is rotated in a substrate in a first direction, the at least one helical thread formation causes the tightening of the fastener in the substrate, and (b) when the fastener is rotated in the substrate in an opposite second direction, the at least one helical thread formation causes the loosening of the fastener in the substrate; and
a head integrally connected to the first end of the shank, the head including a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion defining an engaging structure engageable by a tool, the bottom portion including a plurality of ribs, wherein each rib includes: (i) a leading face, and (ii) a trailing face that meets the leading face at a transversely extending leading edge of the rib, wherein the leading edge of the rib includes an apex at the outermost end point of the leading edge, and
wherein for each rib, the rib is inwardly tapered, the trailing face of the rib does not extend to a leading face of an adjacent one of the ribs, the leading face of the rib, the leading edge of the rib, and the trailing face of the rib are configured such that when the fastener is rotated in the substrate in the first direction, the leading edge of the rib is engageable with the substrate before the trailing face of the rib.