Spring loaded fastener and spring loaded fastening system

Abstract

A spring loaded fastener and spring loaded fastening system. A spring loaded fastening system for fastening a liner to a structure, the spring loaded fastening system comprising a spring loaded fastener having: a cleat defining an interior cavity; a spring element disposed on a floor of the interior cavity; and a shoulder bolt having a head portion disposed on the spring element, wherein a shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt extends through a mounting opening in the floor of the interior cavity and a threaded portion of the shoulder bolt is fastened to the structure. The system also includes a suspension pocket located in a rear surface of the liner, the suspension pocket comprising: a first portion having an opening sized to accommodate a diameter of a lower portion of the cleat and sized to accommodate a diameter of an upper portion of the cleat; and a second portion adjacent to the first portion having an opening sized to accommodate a diameter of the upper portion of the cleat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of semiconductor processing equipment, and more particularly, to a spring loaded fastening system and spring loaded fastener for removably mounting a liner in a process chamber of an ion implanter. Background Art

[0002] Ion implantation is a standard technique for introducing property-changing impurities into a substrate. During the ion implantation process, the desired impurity material ("dopant") is ionized in a source chamber and the ions are directed through an extraction aperture. The ions are accelerated to form an ion beam of a specified energy and the ion beam is directed onto the surface of a substrate located in a process chamber. The energetic ions in the ion beam penetrate the subsurface of the substrate material and are embedded into the crystal lattice of the substrate material to form regions having the desired conductivity or material properties.

[0003] The conventional process chamber of an ion implanter is made of metal (e.g., aluminum). If not shielded during the ion implantation process, the inner surface of the process chamber is bombarded by accelerated doping ions and materials sputtered from the substrate. This may result in the accumulation of pollutants on the inner surface of the process chamber. The accumulated pollutants may eventually flake off from the inner surface in the form of particles of various sizes. These particles may have a negative impact on tool function and may require a lot of cleaning to repair. In order to alleviate this accumulation and accelerate repair, graphite liners are usually installed in the process chamber to cover this inner surface that may be exposed to this pollution. The surface properties and geometry of specially treated graphite enable it to capture pollutants more effectively (compared with bare metal (e.g., aluminum)), and therefore reduce the flakes of such pollutant accumulation. In addition, the thermal properties of graphite are very suitable for situations where ion beams may directly impact.

[0004] While conventional graphite liners are generally effective in mitigating contamination within a process chamber, such liners are associated with several disadvantages. For example, graphite liners are typically secured to the interior surface of a process chamber using mechanical fasteners formed of metal. Thus, the mechanical fasteners themselves need to be shielded, such as with a graphite top cover, to avoid contributing to contamination of the process chamber. The mechanical fasteners and top cover create undesirable discontinuities and variations in the surface texture of the graphite liner. Additionally, graphite is generally very brittle. Therefore, when mechanical fasteners (e.g., bolts) are used to secure graphite liners to the interior surface of a process chamber, specialized tools are often used and strict torque requirements are adhered to to avoid damaging the graphite liner. The above considerations make the installation and removal of graphite liners both time consuming and cumbersome.

[0005] With regard to these and other considerations, the present improvements may be useful. Summary of the invention

[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is this Summary intended to be an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] A spring-loaded fastener according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a frustoconical clamping plate having an internal cavity; a spring element disposed on a floor of the internal cavity; and a shoulder bolt disposed in the internal cavity, wherein a bottom surface of a head portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the spring element, and wherein a shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt extends through a mounting opening in the floor of the internal cavity.

[0008] A spring loaded fastening system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a spring loaded fastener, the spring loaded fastener comprising: a frustoconical clamping plate having an internal cavity; a spring element disposed in a floor of the internal cavity; and a shoulder bolt disposed in the internal cavity, wherein a bottom surface of a head portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the spring element, wherein a shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt extends through a mounting aperture in the floor of the internal cavity, and wherein a threaded portion of the shoulder bolt is fastened to the structure. The spring loaded fastening system may also include a suspension pocket located in a rear surface of a pad, the suspension pocket comprising: a first portion defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized sufficient to accommodate a diameter of a lower portion of the clamping plate and being sized insufficient to accommodate a diameter of an upper portion of the clamping plate; and a second portion adjacent to the first portion and defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized sufficient to accommodate the diameter of the upper portion of the clamping plate.

[0009] A spring-loaded fastening system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a spring-loaded fastener, comprising: a frustoconical clamping plate having an internal cavity; a spring element disposed on a floor of the internal cavity; and a shoulder bolt disposed in the internal cavity, wherein a bottom surface of a head portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the spring element, wherein a shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt extends through a mounting opening in the floor of the internal cavity, and wherein a threaded portion of the shoulder bolt is fastened to a structure. The spring loaded fastening system may further include: a suspension bladder located in a rear surface of the pad, the suspension bladder comprising: a first portion defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized to accommodate a diameter of a lower portion of the cleat and being sized to accommodate a diameter of an upper portion of the cleat; and a second portion adjacent to the first portion and defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized to accommodate the diameter of the upper portion of the cleat; wherein a side wall of the cleat extends from a bottom surface of the cleat at a first angle, and wherein a side wall of the suspension bladder extends from the rear surface of the pad at a second angle, wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle. The cleat is disposed within the first portion of the suspension bladder and the side wall of the suspension bladder is disposed on the side wall of the cleat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] By way of example, various embodiments of the disclosed system will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1A is a top perspective view illustrating a spring loaded fastener according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 1B It is shown Figure 1A A bottom perspective view of a spring loaded fastener is shown.

[0013] Figure 2 It is shown installed in the structure Figure 1A and Figure 1B A cut-away side view of a spring loaded fastener is shown.

[0014] Figure 3A is a rear view showing the fastening system of the present disclosure in an initial installed position.

[0015] Figure 3B is along Figure 3A A sectional side view taken along plane AA.

[0016] Figure 4A is a rear view showing the fastening system of the present disclosure in an intermediate installation position.

[0017] Figure 4B is along Figure 4A A sectional side view taken along plane BB.

[0018] Figure 5A is a rear view showing the fastening system of the present disclosure in a final installed position.

[0019] Figure 5B is along Figure 5A Cross-sectional side view taken on plane CC in FIG.

[0020] Figure 6 is along Figure 5A A sectional bottom view taken along plane DD.

[0021] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional plan view illustrating an alternative suspension bladder according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the fastening system of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present embodiment will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some embodiments are shown. The subject matter of the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. In all drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0024] According to the present disclosure, a spring-loaded fastening system is provided and will be described in detail below. The fastening system can facilitate the convenient and quick installation and removal of liners (e.g., graphite liners) in the process chamber of an ion implanter without the need for tools. In addition, the fastening system of the present disclosure does not require a top cover for covering the exposed mechanical fasteners. Therefore, the fastening system does not produce undesirable interruptions or changes in the surface texture of the liner.

[0025] Reference Figure 1A and Figure 1B , Figure 1A and Figure 1BA top perspective view and a bottom perspective view of a spring-loaded fastener 10 (hereinafter "fastener 10") according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure are shown. The fastener 10 may include: a generally frustoconical clamping plate 12 defining an internal cavity 14; a spring element 16 disposed within the cavity 14; a flat washer 18 disposed on the bottom of the clamping plate 12; and a shoulder bolt 20 disposed within the cavity 14 and extending through the spring element 16, the clamping plate 12, and the flat washer 18. In various embodiments, the clamping plate 12 may be formed of various metal or non-metal materials, including but not limited to aluminum, stainless steel, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), nylon, and Teflon. The spring element 16, the flat washer 18, and the shoulder bolt 20 may be formed of various metals, including but not limited to steel, aluminum, various alloys, and the like. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard, and any of the clamping plate 12 , spring element 16 , flat washer 18 , and shoulder bolt 20 may be formed from alternative materials suitable for facilitating operation of the fastener 10 , as further described below.

[0026] The clamping plate 12 may be radially symmetrical and may have a generally flat bottom surface 19 and a tapered sidewall 21. The upper portion of the clamping plate 12 may have a first diameter and the lower portion of the clamping plate 12 may have a second diameter, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter. The top edge of the sidewall 21 may be rounded. In various embodiments, the sidewall 21 may extend from the bottom surface 19 at an angle ranging between 100 degrees and 120 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, the sidewall 21 may extend from the bottom surface 19 at an angle of 110 degrees. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0027] Now refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A cross-sectional side view of the fastener 10 is presented that shows the fastener 10 operably mounted to a structure 22 (e.g., the interior of a process chamber of an ion implanter). For convenience and clarity, terms such as "top," "bottom," "above," "below," "lower," "upper," "downward," and "upward" may be used hereinafter to describe the relative placement and orientation of the various components of the fastener 10, all of which relate to the relative positions and orientations of the various components of the fastener 10 when the fastener 10 is in a Figure 2 The terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar meaning.

[0028] like Figure 2As shown in , the threaded portion 24 of the shoulder bolt 20 can be arranged to be securely threadedly engaged with a corresponding threaded bore 26 in the structure 22. The flat washer 18, which has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion 24 and smaller than the outer diameter of the shoulder portion 28 of the shoulder bolt 20, can surround the threaded portion 24 and can be sandwiched axially between the bottom surface of the shoulder portion 28 and the surface of the structure 22. The flat washer 18 can be used as a stopper to prevent the shoulder bolt 20 from being further screwed into the bore 26, and can ensure accurate positional contact between the fastener 10 and the structure 22 if the bore 26 is a countersunk hole. The flat washer 18 can also prevent the shoulder portion 28 from biting into the structure 22 and damaging the structure 22 when the shoulder bolt 20 is twisted during installation.

[0029] The head portion 30 of the shoulder bolt 20 may be disposed within the interior cavity 14 of the clamping plate 12, wherein the bottom surface of the head portion 30 is located on top of the spring element 16, and wherein the shoulder portion 28 extends through the spring element 16 and through a mounting aperture 32 in a floor 33 of the interior cavity 14. The spring element 16, which has an inner diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the shoulder portion 28 and smaller than the outer diameter of the head portion 30, may surround the shoulder portion 28 and may be axially sandwiched between the bottom surface of the head portion 30 and the floor 33 of the interior cavity 14. The spring element 16 may apply a downwardly directed force to the floor 33 of the interior cavity 14, thereby biasing the clamping plate 12 downwardly toward the flat washer 18. If sufficient upwardly directed force is applied to the clamping plate to overcome the biasing force of the spring element 16, the spring element 16 may allow the clamping plate 12 to be displaced upwardly a short distance. In various embodiments, the spring element 16 may be a Belleville washer (also known as a coned-disc spring, a conical spring washer, a disc spring, a Belleville spring, or a spring washer). The present disclosure is not limited in this regard. In alternative embodiments, the spring element 16 may be a coil spring or other spring device suitable for biasing the clamp plate 12 downward away from the end portion 30 of the shoulder bolt 20. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the biasing force imparted by the spring element 16 may be adjusted by changing the thickness of the spring element 16, the material of the spring element 16, etc.

[0030] In operation, the fastener 10 described above can be secured to a structure (e.g., an inner wall or surface of a process chamber of an ion implanter), and an object (e.g., a gasket) can be suspended from the fastener 10 and thus secured to the structure. FIG. 3A to FIG. 5B, a series of rear views and corresponding cross-sectional side views are provided depicting a graphite liner 34 hanging from a fastener 10. A rear surface 35 of the graphite liner 34 may have a hanger pocket 36 formed therein, wherein the hanger pocket 36 may be adapted to receive and engage the fastener 10, as further described below. The fastener 10 may be mounted to a structure 22 (e.g., an interior surface of an extractor plate or other surface within a process chamber).

[0031] The suspension bladder 36 may be a generally keyhole-shaped depression or cavity formed in the rear surface of the graphite liner 34 and may be defined by a first upper arc 38 intersecting a top of a second lower arc 40, wherein the radius of the upper arc 38 is less than the radius of the lower arc 40. In various embodiments, the upper arc 38 may have an arc angle ranging from 120 degrees to 180 degrees. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard. In various embodiments, the upper arc 38 may have a radius that is slightly larger (e.g., 2 mm to 5 mm larger) than the radius of the bottom of the splint 12 and smaller (e.g., 5 mm to 10 mm smaller) than the radius of the top of the splint 12.

[0032] Reference Figure 3A and Figure 3B , the suspension bladder 36 may be placed above the splint 12, wherein the splint 12 is completely disposed within the lower arc 40 (i.e., the splint 12 has no portion disposed within the upper arc 38). The minimum depth of the suspension bladder 36 may be equal to or greater than the minimum depth of the splint 12 along the lower arc 40. Figure 3B 1 and 12. The combined depth of the clamping plate 12 and the flat washer 18 is measured along the Z-axis shown in FIG. When the spring element 16 is fully compressed, the maximum depth of the suspension bladder 36 may be no greater than the combined depth of the clamping plate 12 and the flat washer 18 plus the depth that the clamping plate 12 may travel along the shoulder portion 28 of the shoulder bolt 20. Thus, the rear surface of the graphite liner 34 may be placed in flat engagement with the front surface of the structure 22, and the top of the clamping plate 12 may extend to contact or nearly contact the rear wall 46 of the suspension bladder 36. The side wall 48 of the suspension bladder 36 may be angled to match the angle of the side wall 21 of the clamping plate. For example, if the side wall 21 of the clamping plate 12 forms an angle of 110 degrees with the bottom surface 19 of the clamping plate 12, the side wall 48 of the suspension bladder 36 may form an angle of 110 degrees with the rear surface 35 of the graphite liner 34.

[0033] Reference Figure 4A and Figure 4B , the graphite pad 34 is shown partially lowered onto the clamping plate 12, wherein the upper arc 38 of the suspension bladder 36 is vertically close to the clamping plate 12. If the suspension bladder 36 is lowered, the graphite pad 34 is shown partially lowered onto the clamping plate 12, wherein the upper arc 38 of the suspension bladder 36 is vertically close to the clamping plate 12. Figure 4A The manner shown in FIG. 1 is centered laterally relative to the splint 12 (i.e., along the Figure 4Acentered on the X-axis shown in FIG), the graphite pad 34 may continue to be lowered and the clamping plate 12 may directly enter the upper arc 38. However, if the hanging bladder 36 is laterally off-center relative to the clamping plate 12 as the graphite pad 34 is lowered, the sidewalls 48 in the upper portion of the lower arc 40 may engage the sidewalls 21 of the clamping plate 12. As the graphite pad 34 continues to be lowered, the engagement between the sidewalls 21 of the clamping plate 12 and the inwardly curved sidewalls 48 in the upper portion of the lower arc 40 may force the graphite pad 34 to deflect laterally, thereby moving the hanging bladder 36 into or close to being laterally aligned with the clamping plate 12. The gathered upper portion of the lower arc 40 may thus automatically guide or gather the clamping plate 12 into the upper arc 38 as the graphite pad 34 is lowered onto the clamping plate 12.

[0034] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B , the graphite liner 34 is shown fully lowered onto the clamping plate 12, wherein the clamping plate 12 is partially disposed within the upper arc 38, and wherein the sidewall 48 in the upper arc 38 is located on the sidewall 21 of the clamping plate 12. Since the radius of the top of the clamping plate 12 is greater than the radius of the upper arc 38, the graphite liner 34 will not be lowered unless it is first lifted upward to offset the clamping plate 12 into the larger lower arc 40 (as shown in FIG. Figure 3A and Figure 3B ), otherwise the clamping plate 12 would prevent the graphite liner 34 from being pulled horizontally away from the structure 22 (i.e., pulled toward Figure 5B ). The graphite gasket 34 thus remains securely mounted to the structure 22 until the graphite gasket 34 is unloaded.

[0035] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 6 A cross-sectional bottom view of the cleat 12 is shown disposed within the upper arc 38. As described above, the spring element 16 of the fastener 10 can exert a downwardly directed force on the floor 33 of the interior cavity 14 of the cleat 12, thereby biasing the cleat 12 downwardly toward the flat washer 18 (see FIG. Figure 6 ). This biasing force can be transmitted to the graphite liner 34 through the engagement between the inclined sidewall 21 of the clamping plate 12 and the inclined sidewall 48 of the suspension bladder 36. Thus, the fastener 10 can maintain the graphite liner 34 in secure engagement with the structure 22 while allowing the clamping plate 12 to move away from the structure 22 (i.e., through the flexion of the spring element 16). In this manner, the fastener 10 can accommodate tolerance stack up and thermal expansion of the structure 22, the graphite liner 34, and / or the fastener 10 while mitigating the risk of damage to the graphite liner 34 due to such tolerance stack up and / or thermal expansion.

[0036] In various alternative embodiments, the suspension capsule 36 may have shapes other than those described above. FIG. 3A to FIG. 5B Various shapes other than those shown in the drawings may be used, as long as they include a lower portion having an opening in the rear surface of the pad that is large enough to accommodate the top of the splint 12. For example, referring to Fig. 7A , Fig. 7A An alternative suspension bladder 36a is shown formed in a portion of a cushion 37a, wherein the suspension bladder 36a has a generally semicircular upper portion intersecting a generally arcuate lower portion. Figure 7B , Figure 7B An alternative hanging bladder 36b is shown formed in a portion of a cushion 37b, wherein the hanging bladder 36b has upper and lower portions defining a continuous arch, and wherein the bottom of the hanging bladder 36b extends through a bottom edge of the cushion 37b. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0037] Reference Figure 8 , Figure 8 An exemplary embodiment of a fastening system of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the fastening system is used to removably mount a graphite liner 50 to an inner surface 52 of a process chamber. Specifically, three fasteners 10a, 10b, 10c identical to the fastener 10 described above may be fixed (e.g., bolted) to the chamber-facing side of the inner surface 52 at different locations (the three fasteners 10a, 10b, 10c are located behind the graphite liner 50 and are therefore shown in phantom). The graphite liner 50 may include three suspension pockets 36a, 36b, 36c identical to the suspension pockets 36 described above formed in the rear surface of the graphite liner 50 (and are therefore shown in phantom), the positions of the three suspension pockets corresponding to the positions of the fasteners 10a, 10b, 10c. The graphite liner 50 may be removably secured to the interior surface 52 by placing the suspension bladder 36a, 36b, 36c over the fastener 10a, 10b, 10c and lowering the suspension bladder 36a, 36b, 36c onto the fastener 10a, 10b, 10c in the manner described above for the suspension bladder 36 and fastener 10. Figure 8 Not shown in the examples provided in, but various embodiments are contemplated in which, in addition to the fastening system of the present disclosure, one or more conventional mechanical fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.) may be inserted through corresponding mounting openings in the graphite liner 50 and secured to the inner surface 52 to ensure that the graphite liner 50 cannot be inadvertently pushed out of position. Such mechanical fasteners may be covered by a graphite cap on the side of the graphite liner 50 that faces the chamber.

[0038] As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the above-described fastening system provides advantages in the art by facilitating the convenient, rapid installation and removal of liners (e.g., graphite liners) in process chambers of ion implanters without the use of tools. Additionally, the fastening system does not require any mechanical fasteners or caps to be installed in the chamber-facing side of the liner, and thus does not introduce undesirable discontinuities or changes in the surface texture of the chamber-facing side of the liner. Still further, the fasteners of the present disclosure dynamically adapt to tolerance stacking and thermal expansion of surrounding structures while mitigating the risk of damage to the fitted liner due to such tolerance stacking and / or thermal expansion.

[0039] As used herein, an element or step described in the singular and followed by the word "a" or "an" will be understood not to exclude multiple elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly described. In addition, reference to "one embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that include the described features.

[0040] The scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the specific embodiments described herein. In fact, by reading the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, various other embodiments of the present disclosure and various modifications to the present disclosure other than the embodiments and modifications described herein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, these other embodiments and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure has been described herein in the context of specific embodiments in a specific environment for a specific purpose, but those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that its applicability is not limited thereto. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Therefore, the claims set forth above should be interpreted in light of the full breadth and spirit of the present disclosure described herein.

Claims

1. A spring loaded fastener comprising: A truncated conical shaped splint having an interior cavity and side walls; A spring element is disposed on the bottom plate of the internal cavity, the spring element applies a force to the bottom plate, the side wall is inclined relative to the direction of the force, and the outer diameter of the clamping plate increases from the bottom surface of the clamping plate to the top surface of the clamping plate as the side wall is inclined; as well as a shoulder bolt disposed in the interior cavity, wherein a bottom surface of a head portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the spring element, wherein a shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt extends through a mounting aperture in the floor of the interior cavity, and wherein a threaded portion of the shoulder bolt extends from the shoulder portion and is adapted to threadably engage a structure to which the spring-loaded fastener is fastened with the head portion disposed in the interior cavity, The head portion, the shoulder portion and the threaded portion of the shoulder bolt are axially movable relative to the frustoconical clamping plate, The spring loaded fastener transmits the force to the cushion through engagement between the side walls of the cleat and the side walls of the suspension bladder of the cushion.

2. The spring loaded fastener of claim 1, wherein the spring element is annular and has an inner diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the head portion of the shoulder bolt and has an outer diameter that is larger than the diameter of the head portion of the shoulder bolt.

3. The spring loaded fastener of claim 1 further comprising a flat washer disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the clamping plate, wherein a bottom surface of the shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the flat washer and wherein the threaded portion of the shoulder bolt extends through the flat washer.

4. The spring loaded fastener of claim 3, wherein the flat washer has an inner diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt and has an outer diameter that is larger than the diameter of the mounting opening.

5. The spring loaded fastener of claim 1, wherein the spring element is one of a spring washer and a coil spring.

6. The spring loaded fastener of claim 1 wherein said spring element biases said head portion of said shoulder bolt and said floor of said interior cavity of said cleat away from each other.

7. The spring loaded fastener of claim 1, wherein the clamping plate is formed from one of aluminum, stainless steel, polyetheretherketone, nylon, and Teflon.

8. The spring loaded fastener of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the cleat extends from the bottom surface of the cleat at an angle in the range of 100 degrees to 120 degrees.

9. A spring loaded fastening system for fastening a liner to a structure, the spring loaded fastening system comprising: Spring loaded fasteners, including: A truncated conical shaped splint having an interior cavity and side walls; a spring element disposed on the bottom plate of the inner cavity, the spring element applying a force to the bottom plate, the side wall being inclined relative to the direction of the force, and the outer diameter of the clamping plate gradually increasing from the bottom surface of the clamping plate to the top surface of the clamping plate as the side wall is inclined; and a shoulder bolt disposed in the interior cavity, wherein a bottom surface of a head portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the spring element, wherein a shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt extends through a mounting opening in the floor of the interior cavity, and wherein a threaded portion of the shoulder bolt is secured to the structure with the head portion located in the interior cavity; and A suspension bladder, located in the rear surface of the pad, the suspension bladder comprising: a first portion defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized to accommodate a diameter of a lower portion of the cleat and not sized to accommodate a diameter of an upper portion of the cleat; and a second portion adjacent to the first portion and defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized to accommodate the diameter of the upper portion of the splint, The spring loaded fastener transmits the force to the cushion through engagement between the side walls of the cleat and the side walls of the suspension bladder.

10. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, wherein the spring element is annular and has an inner diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the head portion of the shoulder bolt and has an outer diameter that is larger than the diameter of the head portion of the shoulder bolt.

11. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, further comprising a flat washer disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the clamping plate, wherein a bottom surface of the shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the flat washer and wherein the threaded portion of the shoulder bolt extends through the flat washer.

12. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 11, wherein the flat washer has an inner diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt and has an outer diameter that is larger than a diameter of the mounting opening.

13. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, wherein the spring element is one of a spring washer and a coil spring.

14. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, wherein said spring element biases said head portion of said shoulder bolt and said floor of said interior cavity of said cleat away from each other.

15. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, wherein the clamp is formed from one of aluminum, stainless steel, polyetheretherketone, nylon, and Teflon.

16. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, wherein the side wall of the cleat extends from the bottom surface of the cleat at an angle in the range of 100 degrees to 120 degrees.

17. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, wherein the side wall of the cleat extends from the bottom surface of the cleat at a first angle, and wherein the side wall of the suspension bladder extends from the rear surface of the pad at a second angle, wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle.

18. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9, wherein the suspension pocket has a depth equal to or greater than a combined depth of the cleat and a flat washer disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the cleat.

19. The spring loaded fastening system of claim 9 wherein said side walls of said suspension bladder are disposed on said side walls of said cleat.

20. A spring loaded fastening system for fastening a cushion to a structure, the spring loaded fastening system comprising: Spring loaded fasteners, including: A truncated conical shaped splint having an interior cavity and side walls; a spring element disposed on the bottom plate of the inner cavity, the spring element applying a force to the bottom plate, the side wall being inclined relative to the direction of the force, and the outer diameter of the clamping plate gradually increasing from the bottom surface of the clamping plate to the top surface of the clamping plate as the side wall is inclined; and a shoulder bolt disposed in the interior cavity, wherein a bottom surface of a head portion of the shoulder bolt is disposed on the spring element, wherein a shoulder portion of the shoulder bolt extends through a mounting opening in the floor of the interior cavity, and wherein a threaded portion of the shoulder bolt is secured to the structure with the head portion located in the interior cavity; and A suspension bladder, located in the rear surface of the pad, the suspension bladder comprising: a first portion defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized to accommodate a diameter of a lower portion of the cleat and not sized to accommodate a diameter of an upper portion of the cleat; and a second portion adjacent to the first portion and defining an opening in the rear surface of the pad, the opening being sized to accommodate the diameter of the upper portion of the splint; wherein the sidewall of the splint extends from the bottom surface of the splint at a first angle, and wherein the sidewall of the suspension bladder extends from the rear surface of the pad at a second angle, wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle; and wherein the splint is disposed within the first portion of the suspension bladder and wherein the side walls of the suspension bladder are disposed on the side walls of the splint, The spring loaded fastener transmits the force to the cushion through engagement between the side walls of the cleat and the side walls of the suspension bladder.

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