Snap-on positive snap-lock panel assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a snap-on panel assembly, the combination comprising:
- a pair of similar snap-on panels disposed side-by-side on a support,each said panel having a bottom wall and a pair of upstanding side wall portions,one upstanding side wall portion of one of said panels having a male joint portion including an inwardly extending offset section and including an upwardly extending upper section,a hold-down means for securing said one side wall portion to said support, said hold-down means including a base secured to said support, a first side wall portion extending up from said base with a top hook portion that is hooked over the top of said upper section, and a depending second side wall portion extending down from said top hook portion over said upper section and terminating in a bottom edge below said offset section,an adjacent upstanding side wall portion of the other of said panels having a female joint portion including a depending outer wall section spaced from and connected at the top to the top of said side wall portion of said other panel and extending downwardly therefrom and an inturned end section extending inwardly from the lower end of said depending outer wall section to form a bottom slot, said hold-down means increasing in width from an upper part to a lower part, the width of said bottom slot being greater than the width of said upper part to enable said female joint portion to slide down over said hold-down means and spread until said inturned terminal section is below said bottom edge, said female joint portion contracting with said inturned edge extending under and against said bottom edge to form a primary snap lock and under said offset section as a secondary snap lock if said primary snap lock does not hold to positively lock said panels together and resist an upward force tending to pull said panels apart.
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Abstract
A panel assembly and panel disclosed have male and female joint portions and a hold-down member that anchor the male joint portion arranged so that the female joint portion snap fits down over the hold-down member and male joint portion to provide a positive snap-lock and yet allows for unevenness in the support surface and holds firmly against upward forces pulling the panels apart at the joint as by wind.
59 Citations
7 Claims
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1. In a snap-on panel assembly, the combination comprising:
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a pair of similar snap-on panels disposed side-by-side on a support, each said panel having a bottom wall and a pair of upstanding side wall portions, one upstanding side wall portion of one of said panels having a male joint portion including an inwardly extending offset section and including an upwardly extending upper section, a hold-down means for securing said one side wall portion to said support, said hold-down means including a base secured to said support, a first side wall portion extending up from said base with a top hook portion that is hooked over the top of said upper section, and a depending second side wall portion extending down from said top hook portion over said upper section and terminating in a bottom edge below said offset section, an adjacent upstanding side wall portion of the other of said panels having a female joint portion including a depending outer wall section spaced from and connected at the top to the top of said side wall portion of said other panel and extending downwardly therefrom and an inturned end section extending inwardly from the lower end of said depending outer wall section to form a bottom slot, said hold-down means increasing in width from an upper part to a lower part, the width of said bottom slot being greater than the width of said upper part to enable said female joint portion to slide down over said hold-down means and spread until said inturned terminal section is below said bottom edge, said female joint portion contracting with said inturned edge extending under and against said bottom edge to form a primary snap lock and under said offset section as a secondary snap lock if said primary snap lock does not hold to positively lock said panels together and resist an upward force tending to pull said panels apart. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a snap-on panel assembly adapted to form a locking joint at adjacent longitudinal edges of a pair of said panels, each said panel having a bottom wall and a pair of upstanding side wall portions at opposite longitudinal edges of said bottom wall, the combination comprising:
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one of said side wall portions having a male joint portion including an inwardly extending offset section a selected distance above said bottom wall and an upwardly and outwardly extending upper section terminating in a first terminal edge, a hold-down means for securing said one side wall portion to said support, said hold-down means including a base secured to said support, a first side wall portion extending up from said base with a top hook portion that is hooked over the top of said upper section, and a depending second side wall portion extending down from said top hook portion over said upper section and terminating in a bottom edge, an adjacent upstanding side wall portion of the other of said panels having a female joint portion including a depending outer wall section spaced from and connected at the top to the top of said side wall portion of said other panel and extending downwardly thereto and an inturned end section extending inwardly from the lower end of said depending outer wall section to form a bottom slot, said hold-down means increasing in width from an upper part to a lower part, the width of said bottom slot being greater than the width of said upper part to enable said female joint portion to slide down over said hold-down means and spread until said inturned terminal section is below said bottom edge, said female joint portion contracting with said inturned edge extending under and against said bottom edge to form a primary snap lock and under said offset section as a secondary snap lock if said primary snap lock does not hold to positively lock said panels together with the ability of said other panel to be pulled apart when an upward force is applied to said other panel without deforming said inturned end portion is minimized.
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Specification