Plastic fastener, in particular, a vehicle panel fastener
First Claim
1. A fastener system for securing a component to a panel, comprising:
- a panel having an aperture defined therein wherein said aperture has a prismatic configuration defined by sidewalls of said aperture disposed at predetermined angles with respect to each other and having a diagonal dimension defined between opposite corner junctions of pairs of said sidewalls of said aperture;
a head portion of a fastener for engaging a first surface of said panel when said fastener is inserted through said aperture defined within said panel;
a shank portion of said fastener extending away from said head portion of said fastener for insertion through said aperture defined within said panel, said shank portion comprising a rib member having a longitudinal extent, being integrally connected at a first proximal end with said head portion and having a second substantially pointed distal end for facilitating insertion of said fastener through said aperture defined within said panel, and having a substantially rectangular configuration, as viewed in horizontal cross-section and as defined by a pair of parallel faces and a pair of longitudinally inclined, rounded edges disposed upon opposite ends of and interconnecting said pair of parallel faces, defining a predetermined width dimension which is substantially equal to said diagonal dimension of said aperture as defined between first opposite corners of said sidewalls of said aperture, said rounded inclined edges of said rib member defining means for engaging sidewalls of said aperture defined within said panel and for automatically causing pivotable movement of said rib member, said shank portion, and said fastener with respect to said sidewalls of said aperture when said shank portion is inserted through said aperture of said panel so as to automatically cause said fastener to be angularly oriented with respect to said aperture defined within said panel such that said width dimension of said rib member will be aligned with said diagonal dimension of said aperture while said opposite rounded edges of said rib member will engage said first opposite corners of said aperture; and
elastic snap-engaging means, mounted upon said pair of parallel faces of said rib member at longitudinal positions defined between said first and second proximal and distal ends of said rib member, having a predetermined width dimension which is substantially less than said predetermined width dimension of said rib member, and extending outwardly from central portions of said pair of parallel faces of said rib member, as viewed in said width direction, for engaging a second surface of said panel when said fastener is inserted through said aperture defined within said panel, and being disposed within a plane transverse to said width of said rib member so as to snap-engage sidewall portions of said aperture which define second opposite corners of said sidewalls of said aperture.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plastic fastener for insertion inside a complementary opening in a part in the course of manufacture, in particular, a panel fastener for insertion inside a prismatic hole formed in a vehicle body part; the fastener compromising a head, and a shank in turn compromising elastic engaging members which snap on to respective sides of the opening and are oriented in at least one plane crosswise to the shank; the fastener being characterized in that the shank comprises an appendix projecting axially in front of the elastic engaging members with respect to the insertion direction of the fastener inside the opening; the appendix being pointed, and presenting at least one rib of a width substantially equal to the diagonal extension of the prismatic opening, and of a thickness much smaller than the width; and the rib being oriented, width-wise, in a plane forming an angle with the plane of the elastic engaging members.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A fastener system for securing a component to a panel, comprising:
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a panel having an aperture defined therein wherein said aperture has a prismatic configuration defined by sidewalls of said aperture disposed at predetermined angles with respect to each other and having a diagonal dimension defined between opposite corner junctions of pairs of said sidewalls of said aperture; a head portion of a fastener for engaging a first surface of said panel when said fastener is inserted through said aperture defined within said panel; a shank portion of said fastener extending away from said head portion of said fastener for insertion through said aperture defined within said panel, said shank portion comprising a rib member having a longitudinal extent, being integrally connected at a first proximal end with said head portion and having a second substantially pointed distal end for facilitating insertion of said fastener through said aperture defined within said panel, and having a substantially rectangular configuration, as viewed in horizontal cross-section and as defined by a pair of parallel faces and a pair of longitudinally inclined, rounded edges disposed upon opposite ends of and interconnecting said pair of parallel faces, defining a predetermined width dimension which is substantially equal to said diagonal dimension of said aperture as defined between first opposite corners of said sidewalls of said aperture, said rounded inclined edges of said rib member defining means for engaging sidewalls of said aperture defined within said panel and for automatically causing pivotable movement of said rib member, said shank portion, and said fastener with respect to said sidewalls of said aperture when said shank portion is inserted through said aperture of said panel so as to automatically cause said fastener to be angularly oriented with respect to said aperture defined within said panel such that said width dimension of said rib member will be aligned with said diagonal dimension of said aperture while said opposite rounded edges of said rib member will engage said first opposite corners of said aperture; and elastic snap-engaging means, mounted upon said pair of parallel faces of said rib member at longitudinal positions defined between said first and second proximal and distal ends of said rib member, having a predetermined width dimension which is substantially less than said predetermined width dimension of said rib member, and extending outwardly from central portions of said pair of parallel faces of said rib member, as viewed in said width direction, for engaging a second surface of said panel when said fastener is inserted through said aperture defined within said panel, and being disposed within a plane transverse to said width of said rib member so as to snap-engage sidewall portions of said aperture which define second opposite corners of said sidewalls of said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification