US 11885358

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 11885358:

• Title: Blind fastener and method of installation thereof
• Assignee: Howmet Aerospace Inc. (Current and Original Assignee)
• Inventors: Robert B. Wilcox, James Thomas Smith, Troy Don Pierce
• Filing Date: February 7, 2019
• Issue Date: January 30, 2024
• Abstract: The patent describes a blind fastener comprising a sleeve and a mandrel. The sleeve has a first and second end with a cavity extending between them. The mandrel is partly received by this cavity, featuring a first mandrel end with an enlarged portion (larger than the cavity's diameter) near the first sleeve end, a second mandrel end with a pull region, and a shank region connecting the two mandrel ends. The pull region has an axial length no greater than four times the shank region's diameter and is designed for engagement by an installation tool.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Blind Fastener): This claim describes a blind fastener made of two main parts: a sleeve and a mandrel.

  • The sleeve is a hollow tube with openings at both ends (first and second sleeve ends) and a cavity running through it.
  • The mandrel fits at least partially inside the sleeve's cavity. It has three key parts:
    • A first mandrel end which is next to the sleeve's first end and has an enlarged part. This enlarged part is wider than the sleeve's cavity.
    • A second mandrel end that includes a "pull region."
    • A shank region connecting the first and second mandrel ends.
  • The crucial feature is that the pull region is designed to be gripped by an installation tool and has a specific axial length: it's no more than four times the diameter of the shank region.

• Independent Claim 16 (Method for Fastening): This claim outlines a method for installing the blind fastener described in Claim 1 into a structure. The steps are:

  • Inserting: The first mandrel end of the blind fastener is inserted into a pre-drilled hole (bore) in a structure.
  • Engaging: An installation tool's gripping mechanism (collet) engages with the pull region of the fastener's mandrel.
  • Actuating: After insertion, the installation tool's anvil forcefully contacts the second sleeve end. Simultaneously, the collet pulls the pull region away from the second sleeve end.
  • Deforming and Swaging: This action causes the sleeve to deform on one side of the structure and the second sleeve end to "swage" (be compressed and molded) onto the mandrel's shank region on the opposite side of the structure. This process secures the fastener.

Litigation Status:

The patent document indicates that the family has litigation. Specifically:

• "First worldwide family litigation filed."
• "US case filed in Delaware District Court" (case number 1:25-cv-01335).
• "PTAB case IPR2026-00268 filed (Pending)."
• "PTAB case IPR2025-01581 filed (Not Instituted - Procedural)."

No further details regarding specific CAFC 2026 dockets for this patent beyond what is already mentioned in the patent document itself were found in the provided search results.