Fastener

• US 20090000085A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piolax Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Piolax Incorporated
• Inventors: Kato, Kouichi, Okada, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/453
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/1081 fastened by a drive-pin F16B19/109 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/309 Plastic type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/42 Independent, headed, aperture pass-through fastener

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fastener including: a fastener body including: a cylindrical portion having an insertion hole formed therethrough; and a locking portion protruding outward from the cylindrical portion; and an unlocking member inserted into the insertion hole, wherein the locking portion is inserted into an attachment hole of an attachment object from a front side thereof, and exposed from a rear side of the attachment hole, wherein the locking portion has an elastic claw locked to an edge of the attachment hole at the rear side, wherein the elastic claw is elastically reducible in diameter, wherein the unlocking member is movable in a position rearward of the elastic claw, and wherein the locking portion is reduced in diameter when the unlocking member is pushed.

Claims

1. A fastener comprising:

a fastener body that includes;

a cylindrical portion that has an insertion hole formed to penetrate therethrough from one end face to the other end face thereof; and

a locking portion that protrudes outward from the other end face of the cylindrical portion; and

an unlocking member that is inserted into the insertion hole,

wherein the locking portion is formed to be inserted into an attachment hole of an attachment object from a front side, and to be exposed from the attachment hole from a rear side,

wherein the locking portion has an elastic claw that is locked to an edge of the attachment hole at the rear side,

wherein the elastic claw is elastically reducible in diameter,

wherein the unlocking member is movable in a position rearward of the elastic claw in a direction from the one end face to the other end face of the cylindrical portion, and

wherein the locking portion is reduced in diameter when the unlocking member is pushed.

2. The fastener according to claim 1,

wherein the locking portion includes an extension part that is continuously formed with the elastic claw,

wherein the unlocking member includes a pressing portion,

wherein the pressing portion is brought into contact with the extension part when the unlocking member is pushed, and

wherein the elastic claw is reduced in diameter through a contact between the pressing portion and the extension part.

3. The fastener according to claim 2,

wherein the elastic claw pushes back the unlocking member by being released from a diameter-reduced state when a pressing operation onto the unlocking member is released.

4. The fastener according to claim 2,

wherein the pressing portion is formed at a distal end of the unlocking member, and

wherein the extension part is formed at a distal end of the elastic claw.

5. The fastener according to claim 2,

wherein the elastic claw and the extension part form a cantilever piece, a root of the elastic claw being a base portion thereof, an end of the extension part being a free end thereof, and

wherein the pressing portion includes a slope that is formed to reduce in diameter of the distal end of the extension part when the unlocking member is pushed.

6. The fastener according to claim 2,

wherein the unlocking member includes:

a head portion;

a pair of wall portions that extends from the head portion so as to be faced with each other;

a connection portion that connects ends of the pair of wall portions;

a pressing portion that is formed on the connection portion; and

a drop-preventing claw that is formed on the pair of wall portions, and

wherein, in the insertion hole, a drop-preventing step is formed to be engaged with the drop-preventing claw and to prevent the unlocking member from dropping from the insertion hole.

7. The fastener according to claim 6,

wherein the drop-preventing claw includes an elastic piece that protrudes from side edges of the pair of wall portions.

8. The fastener according to claim 6,

wherein the unlocking member includes a positioning protrusion that is formed on the pair of wall portions, and

wherein, on an inner wall of the insertion hole, a positioning guide groove is formed to slidably guide the positioning protrusion in an axis direction of the insertion hole.

9. The fastener according to claim 7,

wherein, on the inner wall of the insertion hole, a rib is formed to extend in an axis direction of the insertion hole,

wherein the unlocking member includes a support portion that protrudes from the connection portion, and

wherein the support portion and the elastic claw are formed to be slidable in the axis direction with the rib interposed therebetween.

10. The fastener according to claim 6,

wherein the head portion includes a flange, and

wherein, in the insertion hole, a stopper is formed to regulate a moving range of the unlocking member inside the insertion hole by contacting with the flange.