Patent ID: 7160073

Claim:
A tapping screw, comprising: a head portion; a shaft portion extending from said head portion; and a thread portion formed on an outer surface of said shaft portion, said thread portion including top and bottom portions connected to one another by a joint portion comprising a top side joint portion adjacent said top portion and a bottom side joint portion adjacent said bottom portion, and a plurality of notches being formed in said top portion of said thread portion extending a predetermined distance from said top portion toward said bottom portion of said thread portion and over a predetermined range along the axial length of said shaft portion, wherein said top side joint portion defines a thread ridge having an angle of approximately 25–35° symmetrical about an imaginary line extending perpendicularly from a center axis of said shaft portion, and said bottom side joint portion has a circular arc shape in an area having a smaller diameter as compared to a diameter of a prepared hole in a member into which said thread portion is inserted and fastened, when viewed in a cross section taken along the axis of said tapping screw, a thread pitch is one revolution of said thread portion around said shaft portion, and four of said notches are formed on each thread pitch, said notches are spaced approximately 90° apart about the axis of said tapping screw, and said notches are formed on less than all of the thread pitches of said shaft portion.