Metal sheet locking nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications

Abstract

The utility model discloses a metal sheet locking nut of many bolt specifications can be adapted, including base body, the middle part of base body is equipped with through -hole, the periphery of through -hole is equipped with a plurality of inwards overhanging and along the elastic locking tongue of axial oblique extension, a plurality of elastic locking tongues form the diameter of inscribed circle that surrounds under the natural state less than the minimum applicable bolt diameter of prearranging, elastic locking tongue structure is the elastic deformation of radial expansion and axial elevation angle with the diameter increase of screwing into the bolt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of locking nut technology, specifically a metal plate locking nut that can be adapted to multiple bolt specifications. Background Technology

[0002] Plate nuts (also known as self-locking disc nuts or thin-plate nuts) are widely used in industrial fastening, especially in applications with strict requirements on thickness and weight. However, existing plate nuts generally suffer from a core limitation: they typically only fit a single bolt size. This is because their internal threads or locking mechanisms are designed and stamped for bolts of a specific diameter. When attempting to use larger or smaller bolts, they either cannot be screwed in due to diameter mismatch or lack sufficient locking force to achieve a reliable self-locking effect. This limitation forces manufacturing and maintenance personnel to stock and manage multiple models of plate nuts for different fastening needs, significantly increasing material management complexity and inventory costs.

[0003] Due to the thickness limitations of the metal sheet, traditional locking structures have limited elastic deformation range when attempting to accommodate bolts with significantly different diameters, and are prone to permanent plastic deformation, leading to nut failure. Furthermore, when a large-diameter bolt is forcibly screwed in, the radial expansion force exerted by the bolt on the metal sheet acts not only on the locking tongue but also is transmitted to the nut's base. For traditional thin-plate structures, this stress easily causes warping or planar deformation of the base, preventing the nut's bottom surface from fitting smoothly against the workpiece surface, thus affecting the final fastening reliability. Therefore, this invention proposes a metal sheet locking nut that can accommodate multiple bolt sizes, solving the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] (a) Technical problems to be solved To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, such as the limited variety of locking nut specifications, insufficient compatibility, and the tendency for large-diameter bolts to deform the bolt body and fail when screwed in, this invention achieves composite elastic deformation of the elastic locking tongue by setting a necked-off section as a flexible hinge. Furthermore, it introduces threaded section one and threaded section two to provide continuous guidance, enabling adaptive locking of bolts of various specifications. Simultaneously, stress relief holes absorb radial expansion forces, preventing warping deformation of the bolt body and improving compatibility, fastening reliability, and repeated service life.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a metal sheet locking nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications, comprising a base, wherein a through hole is provided in the middle of the base, and a plurality of elastic locking tongues are provided around the periphery of the through hole, which are cantilevered inward and extend obliquely along the axial direction. The diameter of the inscribed circle formed by the plurality of elastic locking tongues in their natural state is smaller than the preset minimum applicable bolt diameter. The elastic locking tongues are constructed to be able to produce radial expansion and axial elevation angle elastic deformation as the diameter of the screwed-in bolt increases.

[0006] Preferably, the elastic locking tongue includes, in a radial direction from the inside out, a biting portion, a claw body base, and a neck, wherein the neck is connected to the edge of the through hole of the base.

[0007] Preferably, the end of the biting part is provided with a biting groove, and the cross-section of the biting groove is V-shaped; a threaded section is provided on the inner wall of the through hole.

[0008] Preferably, the end edge of the engagement portion is provided with a second threaded section, which engages with the first threaded section to form a continuous threaded guide.

[0009] Preferably, the substrate has a plurality of stress relief holes, which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the through hole, and each stress relief hole is located between the connection roots of two adjacent elastic locking tongues on the substrate.

[0010] (III) Beneficial Effects Compared with the prior art, this utility model provides a metal plate lock nut that can be adapted to multiple bolt specifications, and has the following beneficial effects: 1. This utility model, by setting up components such as an elastic locking tongue with a constricted neck and a threaded section on the inner wall of the through hole, utilizes the constricted neck as a flexible hinge to guide radial expansion and axial elevation deformation, and in conjunction with the threaded guide, achieves adaptive locking for bolts of different diameters. This effectively solves the problem of complex inventory management caused by the single specification of traditional locking nuts, and at the same time avoids the breakage or permanent plastic failure of the locking structure caused by stress concentration when large-diameter bolts are screwed in.

[0011] 2. This utility model, by opening stress relief holes and other components on the base between the roots of adjacent elastic locking tongues, utilizes the material deformation around the holes to physically isolate and buffer stress when the bolt opens the locking tongue and generates a huge radial expansion force, thus blocking the transmission of stress to the outer edge of the base. This effectively improves the technical defect of existing metal sheet nuts that cannot flatten and tightly fit the workpiece surface due to the warping deformation of the base under extreme fitting conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a metal sheet locking nut that can be adapted to multiple bolt specifications, as proposed in this utility model. Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the medium-elastic locking tongue structure; In the diagram: 1. Base; 2. Stress relief hole; 3. Elastic locking tongue; 4. Through hole; 5. Threaded section; 6. Neck; 7. Engaging part; 8. Engaging groove; 9. Claw body base. Detailed Implementation

[0013] In this utility model, unless otherwise stated, the orientations used, such as "up" and "down", usually refer to the direction shown in the accompanying drawings, or to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" usually refer to the left and right shown in the accompanying drawings; "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not used to limit this utility model.

[0014] This utility model provides a technical solution for a metal plate lock nut that can be adapted to multiple bolt specifications: Please see Figure 1-2 A metal locking nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications includes a base 1, which is typically made of spring steel or high-strength stainless steel by stamping. A through hole 4 is provided in the center of the base 1. Several inwardly projecting and axially inclined elastic locking tongues 3 are integrally formed around the periphery of the through hole 4, arranged radially. In the unscrewed state, the diameter of the inscribed circle formed by the ends of the multiple elastic locking tongues 3 is designed to be smaller than the minimum bolt diameter within a preset applicable range. When the bolt is screwed in, the elastic locking tongues 3 are configured to undergo a composite elastic deformation of radial expansion and axial elevation angle as the diameter of the screwed-in bolt increases. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by setting the initial inscribed circle diameter of the elastic locking tongue 3 to be smaller than the minimum applicable size, the memory characteristics of the metal sheet are utilized to ensure that sufficient locking force can be obtained even when the smallest size bolt is screwed in. For larger size bolts, the variable elevation angle design of the elastic locking tongue 3 provides sufficient clearance space, effectively solving the problem in the prior art that existing locking nuts can only be adapted to a single size bolt due to the fixed inner hole size, thereby greatly reducing the complexity of material management and inventory costs in the manufacturing and maintenance process.

[0015] The elastic locking tongue 3 is structurally optimized through segmentation, divided radially from the inside out into an engagement portion 7, a claw body base 9, and a neck 6. The neck 6 is directly connected to the edge of the through hole 4 of the base 1, and its width is greater than that of the claw body base 9, thus forming a flexible hinge structure at the connection root. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the design of the neck 6 cleverly resolves the contradiction between the thickness limitations of the metal sheet and the requirement for large deformation. When bolts with significantly different diameters are screwed in, the neck 6 acts as a stress concentration point, guiding elastic deformation to primarily occur there. This avoids the uniform distribution of stress on the claw body base 9, which could lead to excessive overall rigidity and breakage. This design effectively overcomes the technical defects mentioned in the background art of traditional locking structures that are prone to permanent plastic deformation or failure when adapted to large-diameter bolts, thus improving the nut's reusable service life.

[0016] The engagement portion 7 is located at the innermost end of the elastic locking tongue 3, and its end has a V-shaped engagement groove 8 for engaging the bolt's thread root. Simultaneously, to assist in the initial insertion of the bolt, a threaded section 5 is pre-formed on the inner wall of the through hole 4, located below the elastic locking tongue 3. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the V-shaped structure of the engagement groove 8 can adapt to bolt thread profiles with different pitches, ensuring stable two-point contact under different bolt specifications and preventing slippage. At the same time, the presence of the threaded section 5 provides the bolt with initial guidance, preventing bolt misalignment when the elastic locking tongue 3 applies reverse elastic force, thus solving the alignment difficulty caused by bolt diameter variations during multi-specification adaptation.

[0017] A second threaded section 10 is precisely stamped at the end edge of the engagement portion 7. Spatially, the second threaded section 10 and the first threaded section 5 on the inner wall of the through hole 4 maintain phase alignment on the helical line, thus forming a continuous threaded guide path. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the continuous guide formed by the second threaded section 10 and the first threaded section 5 ensures that the bolt always travels along the correct helical trajectory during the process of opening the elastic locking tongue 3. This design effectively prevents cutting debris or misaligned threads caused by poor guidance when large-diameter bolts are forcibly screwed in, ensuring that the integrity and reliability of the fastening connection are maintained even under the "forced screwing" conditions of the prior art.

[0018] The base 1 is also provided with several stress relief holes 2, which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the through hole 4. In terms of position, each stress relief hole 2 is precisely located between the connection roots of two adjacent elastic locking tongues 3 on the base 1, that is, on the plane of the base 1 between the two necks 6. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the stress relief holes 2 serve as physical barriers and stress buffers. When a large-diameter bolt forces the elastic locking tongue 3 to extend outward to an extreme extent, the huge radial expansion force generated at the root is absorbed by the material deformation around the stress relief hole 2, thereby blocking the stress transmission path to the outer edge of the base 1. This feature directly solves the key problem pointed out in the background art that "stress causes the base to warp or deform in planar shape, making it impossible for the bottom surface of the nut to fit flat against the workpiece," ensuring that even under extreme fitting specifications, the bottom surface of the base 1 can still maintain high flatness, guaranteeing the final fastening surface contact effect.

[0019] In practical use, the working principle of this utility model is as follows: When the operator applies this invention to fastening operations, first align the bolt to be screwed in with the through hole 4 in the middle of the base 1. The front end of the bolt contacts the threaded section 5 located on the inner wall of the through hole 4. This threaded section 5 serves as an initial guide structure, guiding the bolt to enter along the correct axial direction, effectively avoiding misalignment or centering difficulties caused by the reverse elastic force generated when the bolt contacts the elastic locking tongue 3.

[0020] As the bolt is screwed in further, its threads gradually compress the elastic locking tongue 3. Since the inscribed circle diameter of the elastic locking tongue 3 in its natural state is smaller than the bolt diameter, the bolt forces the elastic locking tongue 3 to expand radially. At this point, the neck 6 located at the connection between the claw body base 9 and the base 1 acts as a flexible hinge, guiding the elastic deformation to mainly occur at this location. This structure allows the elastic locking tongue 3 to automatically adjust its opening angle and axial elevation angle according to the bolt diameter, thus breaking the limitation of traditional locking nuts that can only fit a single specification and achieving compatibility with bolts of different diameters.

[0021] During the expansion process, the threaded section 10 at the end of the engagement part 7 maintains phase alignment with the threaded section 5 in spatial position, forming a continuous thread guide path. This ensures that even under conditions where large-diameter bolts are forcibly screwed in, the bolt can still pass smoothly, preventing cutting debris or misaligned threads caused by poor guidance. At the same time, the necking design 6 avoids excessively uniform stress distribution on the claw body base 9, preventing breakage or permanent plastic deformation due to excessive overall rigidity, and ensuring the reusability of the nut.

[0022] When the bolt is screwed to the predetermined position, the V-shaped engagement groove 8 at the end of the engagement part 7 is tightly engaged with the bolt thread under the action of elastic restoring force. The V-shaped structure adaptively fits the bolt thread profile with different pitches, forming a stable two-point contact, providing a strong self-locking force, and preventing the bolt from loosening or slipping in a vibrating environment.

[0023] Throughout the tightening process, especially against the enormous radial expansion force generated by large-diameter bolts, the stress relief holes 2 on the base 1 play a crucial role. These holes absorb the stress transmitted from the root of the elastic locking tongue 3 through physical isolation, preventing the stress from spreading to the outer edge of the base 1. This mechanism ensures that the bottom surface of the base 1 does not warp or deform under stress, maintaining a flat state to tightly fit the workpiece surface, thereby guaranteeing the reliability and stability of the final tightened connection.

[0024] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the technical features of this utility model are not limited thereto. Any simple changes, equivalent substitutions, or modifications made based on this utility model to solve essentially the same technical problems and achieve essentially the same technical effects are all covered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A metal plate lock nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications, comprising a base (1), characterized in that: The base (1) has a through hole (4) in the middle. The periphery of the through hole (4) has several elastic locking tongues (3) that cantilever inward and extend obliquely along the axial direction. The diameter of the inner circle formed by the multiple elastic locking tongues (3) in their natural state is smaller than the preset minimum applicable bolt diameter. The elastic locking tongue (3) is constructed to be able to produce radial expansion and axial elevation angle elastic deformation as the diameter of the screwed-in bolt increases.

2. The metal plate lock nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic locking tongue (3) includes, in the radial direction from the inside out, a biting part (7), a claw body base (9) and a neck (6), wherein the neck (6) is connected to the edge of the through hole (4) of the base (1).

3. A metal plate lock nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end of the biting part (7) is provided with a biting groove (8), and the cross section of the biting groove (8) is V-shaped; the inner wall of the through hole (4) is provided with a threaded section (5).

4. A metal plate lock nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications according to claim 3, characterized in that: The end edge of the engagement part (7) is provided with a second threaded section (10), which cooperates with the first threaded section (5) to form a continuous threaded guide.

5. A metal plate lock nut adaptable to multiple bolt specifications according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate (1) is provided with a plurality of stress relief holes (2), which are evenly distributed along the circumference of the through hole (4), and each stress relief hole (2) is located between the connecting roots of two adjacent elastic locking tongues (3) on the substrate (1).

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