SNAP IN CONNECTOR

• US 3,814,491 A
• Filed: 09/07/1972
• Issued: 06/04/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William Gene Kackley
• Original Assignee: William Gene Kackley
• Inventors: Kackley, William Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lyddane, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/286,878
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 24/224 312/228,229,257R 403/353
• US Class Current: 312/257.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/241 of sheet metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/50 Readily interlocking, two-part fastener requiring either destructive or tool disengagement

Abstract

A connector arrangement for releasably joining a pair of members such as the component panels of a laundry appliance comprising grippers projecting from one component panel and elements on the other component panel adapted to cooperate with the grippers to resist forces between the components across the plane separating them. A self-engaging latch responsive to movement relative to one of the component panels is provided to automatically lock the panels together by preventing disengagement between the grippers and the cooperating elements and thereby complete the assembly of the panels with a minimum of effort. The latch includes a release tab which may be manually engaged by a suitable tool to permit separation of the panels.

Claims

1. In a laundry appliance having as components a cabinet base and a control console separable across a horizontal plane, means for releasably connecting the console to the base comprising gripping means extending from one component across the plane of separation to the other component, cooperating means on said other component engageable with said gripping means to resist forces perpendicular to said separation plane, self-locking means operable in response to relative movement between it and said one component in a horizontal direction to prevent disengagement between said gripping means and said cooperating means, means for releasing said self-locking means, said self-locking means being enclosed by said components when connected, and an access hole in one of said components adjacent said release means whereby said self-locking means may be released by mechanicaL manipulation of said release means by operations conducted through said hole.

2. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locking means is fixed on the other of said components and the other component is movable relative to said one component to provide relative movement between said locking means and said one component.

3. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locking means includes latching means movable between a latching position and a release position in a direction perpendicular to the direction of relative movement between the locking means and said one component, said releasing means including a tab extending horizontally into confronting relationship with said access hole whereby said tab may be displaced by a tool extending through said access hole.

4. A bracket for connecting two members at a plane separating them comprising a generally planar bracket body, a pair of longitudinally aligned open ended slots in the body, a latch including a surface portion extending generally perpendicular to the plane of the bracket body, said surface portion being spaced a predetermined distance from the end of one slot, and spring means resiliently biasing the latch to a latching position where said latching surface portion is adjacent said plane, said slots including inclined cam surfaces along their horizontal edges, said cam surfaces increasing in distance from the plane of the body with increasing distance from the open end of their associated slots, said spring means comprising a pair of cantilevered spring legs extending, one on each side of the bracket body, from the bracket body at points on the body between said slots, said body, latch, and spring means being integrally formed of sheet metal stock and said latch including a release tab extending generally perpendicular to the latching surface portion, said release tab being integral with said latching surface portion and being formed by bending at right angles to said latching surface portion such that it extends laterally from the latching surface portion a distance substantially greater than the thickness of the body sheet stock.

5. A bracket as set forth in claim 4 wherein said release tab is biased to a position in the plane of said body by said spring means.

6. A bracket as set forth in claim 5 wherein the other of said open ended slots is formed by a keyhole in said body, and means associated with said keyhole to prevent a headed mating member slidable in the associated slot from catching on the edges of the keyhole during removal of said mating member.

7. A laundry appliance having as components a cabinet base and a control console, means for releasably mounting the console on the cabinet base, said mounting means including a plurality of headed members extending from a first of said components to the second, slot means fixed on the second component for releasably retaining the heads of said members when the heads are moved horizontally into the slot means by relative motion between said components, and a self-operating latch fixed on one of said components responsive to movement of said heads into slots to prevent disengagement of said heads from said slots after the heads have reached a predetermined position in the slots.

8. A bracket as set forth in claim 4 including means for fastening said bracket to one of said members prior to assembly of said members.

9. A laundry appliance having separable components, including a cabinet base and a control console, means for releasably connecting the control console to a sheet metal top panel of the cabinet base, said connecting means including a pair of spaced headed elements fixed to one of said components and extending across the horizontal plane defined by the cabinet top panel, a pair of longitudinally aligned spaced slots fixed relative to the other component, said headed elements being receivable into said slots by vertical movement of said headed elements into said slots, said slots and sAid other component being arranged to permit longitudinal movement of said headed elements therein from a rearward separable position to a forward mutually engaged position at which forces perpendicular to said horizontal plane are resisted by interaction between said headed elements and said slots, and a latch responsive to movement of said headed elements into said forward position to grip a portion of one of said headed elements and prevent unintentional rearward movement of said headed elements, said latch including a surface vertically movable into the longitudinal path of said one headed element to grip said portion, and a surface normally extending laterally of said portion in a horizontal plane, said connecting means being substantially enclosed by said components when connected, one of said components including an access hole immediately adjacent said horizontal surface whereby said horizontal surface may be readily engaged for release by a tool extending through said access hole.

10. An appliance as set forth in claim 9, wherein said lateral horizontal surface substantially closes said access hole.