Screw Nut with Barcode Pattern Segments

Abstract

A screw nut includes a through hole defined by the screw nut, an internal thread that projects into the through hole, and a face that surrounds the through hole. At least three barcode patterns are disposed on the face where the at least three barcode patterns have an identical content.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A screw nut, comprising: a through hole defined by the screw nut; an internal thread that projects into the through hole; a first face that surrounds the through hole; and at least three first barcode patterns that are disposed on the first face , wherein the at least three first barcode patterns have an identical content.

11. The screw nut according to claim 10, wherein the at least three first barcode patterns are identical.

12. The screw nut according to claim 10, wherein the screw nut comprises three first barcode patterns that are disposed on the first face.

13. The screw nut according to claim 10, wherein the at least three first barcode patterns are arranged in a circumferentially non-overlapping relationship to each other on the first face.

14. The screw nut according to claim 10, wherein each of the at least three first barcode patterns has a ring-segment-shaped outline.

15. The screw nut according to claim 10, wherein the at least three first barcode patterns are equidistantly spaced from each other.

16. The screw nut according to claim 10, wherein the at least three first barcode patterns each span an angle of 120° or less around a longitudinal axis of the screw nut.

17. The screw nut according to claim 10, wherein the at least three first barcode patterns each comprise a two-dimensional barcode.

18. The screw nut according to claim 10, further comprising: s second face that surrounds the through hole; and at least three second barcode patterns that are disposed on the second face.

19. The screw nut according to claim 18, further comprising a drive surface, wherein the drive surface connects the first face with the second face.

20. A fastener arrangement, comprising: a threaded rod; and the screw nut according to claim 10, wherein the screw nut threadedly engages the threaded rod and wherein the first face of the screw nut surrounds the threaded rod.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a, slightly tilted, top view of an embodiment of a screw nut.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a top view of the first barcode patterns which are arranged on the screw nut of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a fastener arrangement comprising the screw nut of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate an example of a screw nut. The screw nut 1 has a first face 21 and a second face 22, wherein the first face 21 and the second face 22 face in opposite directions. The screw nut 1 is penetrated by a through hole 11, which extends along the longitudinal axis 99 of the screw nut 1. The first face 21 is ring-shaped and surrounds the through hole 11. The second face 22 is also ring-shaped and surrounds the through hole 11. The ring-shaped first face 21, the ring-shaped second face 22 and the through hole 11 are arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis 99. The first face 21 and the second face 22 delimit the screw nut 1 at opposite ends.

[0030] The screw nut 1 also has drive surfaces 25 for driving tool engagement that extend between the first face 21 and the second face 22. In the present embodiment, the drive surfaces 25 are flats, but they can also have more complex geometry. By way of example, the shown nut is a hex nut, thus having six drive surfaces 25 arranged in a hexagonal arrangement.

[0031] The screw nut 1 has an internal thread 12, which projects into the through hole 11 and extends along the through hole 11. The thread axis of the internal thread 12 is the longitudinal axis 99.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a fastener arrangement comprising the screw nut 1 and a threaded rod 2. The screw nut 1 is mounted on the threaded rod 2 and the internal thread 12 of the screw nut 1 screwingly engages the external thread of the threaded rod 2.

[0033] On the first face 21 there are provided three first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33. Each of the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 has a ring-segment shaped outline and taken together, the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 form a ring that surrounds the longitudinal axis 99 in coaxial manner. The first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 are non-overlapping in the circumferential direction, and equidistantly spaced, i.e., neighbor first barcode pattern pairs have always the same circumferential distance. In the present embodiment, the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 each span an angle α of approximately 120° around the longitudinal axis 99 of the screw nut 1.

[0034] Each of the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 comprises a barcode, a two-dimensional barcode in the present example. Although being arranged at different locations and different angles, the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 have identical content and are identical in the present embodiment. Thus, whichever of the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 is read out, this always yields the same data. The spatially distributed arrangement of the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 can ensure that at least one of the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33 is completely visible from an overlaying top hemisphere, even when the screw nut 1 is mounted on the threaded rod 2 and the threaded rod 2 partly covers one or two of the first barcode patterns 31, 32, 33: In case of the fastener arrangement and the viewing angle of FIG. 3, the first barcode pattern that is labelled 33 is covered by the threaded rod 2, whereas barcode pattern 32, and preferably also barcode pattern 31, is accessible for read-out.