Patent Publication Number: US-H2239-H

Title: Cone support

Description:
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST 
   The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Governmental of the United States of America for government purposes without payment of any royalties thereon or therefor. The technology described herein was a subject invention under contract No. N00421-03-P-0049 with Foster-Miller, Inc. 

   BACKGROUND 
   The present invention relates to a cone support. More specifically, but without limitation, the present invention relates to a cone support for protecting a stud, particularly a bonded stud, from shear forces when the stud is stressed perpendicular to its axis. 
   Prior to the present invention, threaded studs with a flanged base plate were used to fasten items to a surface via bonding the flanged plate. The flanged studs failed in sided load through shear or fatigue over time. 
   For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a conical support for a use with a stud. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present invention is directed to a cone support that meets the needs enumerated above and below. 
   The present invention is directed to a cone support for use with a stud, the cone support includes a hollow truncated cone with an apex and a base. The hollow truncated cone includes an apex aperture disposed at the apex and a base aperture disposed at the base. The apex aperture has a threaded internal diameter. The apex aperture and base aperture communicate with a cone chamber, the cone chamber is disposed within the interior of the cone and between the apex aperture and the aperture. The stud is placeable within the apex aperture, the cone chamber and the base aperture such that the cone support protects the stud from shear forces when the stud is stressed perpendicular to its axis. 
   It is a feature of the present invention to provide a cone support that adds strength, but minimal weight to a system. 

   
     DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims, and accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the cone support; 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the cone support; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the cone support; 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the cone support; 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of an embodiment of the cone support; and, 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of a cone support is use. 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
   The preferred embodiment of the present invention are illustrated by way of example below and in  FIGS. 1-6 . The cone support  10  includes a hollow truncated cone  100  with a flattened apex  110  and a base  120 . A flattened apex  110  may be defined as the top of a frustum or the top area left when an apex of a typical cone is cut at a parallel plane to the base. The hollow truncated cone  10  includes an apex aperture  115  disposed at the flattened apex  110  and a base aperture  125  disposed at the base  120 . The apex aperture  115  has a threaded internal diameter  116 . The apex aperture  115  and the base aperture  125  communicate with a cone chamber  105 , the cone chamber  105  is disposed within the interior  106  of the cone  10  and between the apex aperture  115  and the base aperture  125 . A stud  50  is placeable within the apex aperture  115 , the cone chamber  105  and the base aperture  125  such that the cone support  10  protects the stud  50  from shear forces when the stud  50  is stressed perpendicular to its axis  51 . 
   In the description of the present invention, the invention will be discussed in an avionic or aeronautics environment; however, this invention can be utilized for any type of need that requires use of a cone support. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the base aperture  125  is larger than the apex aperture  115 . In use, the base  120  of the cone support  10  is in contact with a stud flange  60 . The walls of the cone may be thin, and the cone may be manufactured from metal, plastic, composite or any type of material practicable. 
   The cone size and wall thickness can be scaled to suit expected loads. The cone support  10  is used with a threaded stud with a flared base embedded within a tapered composite base. The bottom of the base of the stud is flat and placed against the part. The bottom of the base of the stud is bonded to the part. In operation, the cone support is threaded to the stud via the threaded internal diameter  116 , and may be bonded to the flared base of the stud via the base  120 . 
   When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
   Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiment(s) contained herein.