Patent ID: 7722304

Claim:
A thread locking fastener comprising a shank including a core having a longitudinal axis and an external thread whose profile in axial section provides a radially inner, relatively rigid base extending out along a radius from the core to an imaginary datum line spaced from and parallel to said axis, a radially outer deflectable addendum extending along said radius from the datum line to a tip at the major diameter of the thread, said base and addendum being bounded by thread leading and trailing faces extending from the core to the tip, said trailing face having a radially inner, substantially straight portion extending from the core to a point on said datum line and a radially outer, substantially straight portion extending from said point on the datum line to said tip, said radially inner and outer straight portions defining an obtuse exterior included angle and wherein said addendum is deflectable about said point so that when the trailing face is drawn against the leading face of a nut anchor thread with a selected force, the addendum deflects so as to increase said included angle to a maximum of 180°.