Articulating fastener assembly

• US 20040258471A1
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eypex Corp.
• Original Assignee: Robert Granata
• Inventors: Granata, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,435,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/381
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0206 Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings devices for fastening or securing F16B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0225 self supporting head liners
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 11/006 by gluing gluing of plastics material B29C65/48
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/20 for bolts or shafts without holes, grooves, or notches for locking members by rings resilient in their plane F16B21/18
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/30 Dovetail-like connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0628 allowing for adjustment parallel or perpendicular to the plane of the sheets or plates
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/123 Auxiliary fasteners specially designed for this purpose
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/126 at least one of the sheets, plates, bars or strips having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32181 Universal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32622 Rocking or rolling contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32754 Variably preloaded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/606 Leaf spring

Abstract

A fastener assembly securely fastens a decorative panel in spaced relation to a support backing. The fastener assembly includes a base member adapted to be operatively mounted to the decorative panel, a carrier member, and a fastening medium supported by the carrier member and adapted to operatively interconnect the carrier member to the support backing. The carrier member is operatively attached to the base member such that the carrier member is articulately moveable relative to the base member.

Claims

1. A fastener assembly for securely fastening a decorative panel in spaced relation to a support backing, said fastener assembly comprising:

a base member adapted to be operatively mounted to the decorative panel;

a carrier member; and

a fastening medium supported by said carrier member and adapted to operatively interconnect said carrier member to the support backing;

said carrier member being operatively attached to said base member such that said carrier member is articulately moveable relative to said base member.

2. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier member is adapted to swivel through varying angles relative to said base member.

3. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said base member includes at least one leg adapted to operatively engage said carrier member so as to attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

4. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said base member includes a pair of opposed legs disposed spaced relative to one another and adapted to operatively engage said carrier member so as to attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

5. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said base member includes at least one biasing member adapted to operatively support said carrier member and provide swiveling articulation of said carrier member relative to said base member.

6. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said base member includes a pair of opposed biasing members disposed spaced relative to one another and about said at least one leg.

7. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said base member includes a pair of opposed, spaced legs and said pair of biasing members are disposed substantially perpendicular to said pair of legs.

8. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said at least one biasing member is a cantilevered spring extending toward said at least one leg.

9. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said at least one leg is integrally molded to said base member.

10. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said at least one biasing member is integrally molded to said base member.

11. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said base member includes a wall extending substantially upwardly from said base member and disposed about said at least one leg and said at least one biasing member, said wall being adapted to retain said carrier member when operatively supported by said at least one biasing member.

12. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said base member defines an attaching face adapted to be mounted to the decorative panel.

13. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein said base member defines at least one mounting hole formed through said attaching face and adapted to receive a corresponding fastener for operatively mounting said attaching face of the base member to the decorative panel.

14. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said fastener is selected from the group consisting of glue, a rivet, and a screw.

15. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said carrier member includes a shallow, cup-shaped body having a rim defining a channel interiorly to said rim and surrounding said fastening medium.

16. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein said carrier member defines a carrying face adapted to carry said fastening medium to fasten said carrier member to the support backing.

17. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein said carrying face defines a hole completely therethrough for receiving said at least one leg of said base member for operative attachment of said at least one leg to said carrier member such that said carrier member is operatively attached to said base member.

18. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein said at least one leg of said base member includes a foot adapted to snappingly engage said carrying face of said carrier member such that said carrier member is operatively attached to said base member.

19. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one leg is adapted to correspondingly depress to displace said foot toward the midpoint of said hole such that said hole can receive said at least one leg.

20. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein said fastening medium is selected from the group consisting of a magnet, Velcro®

, and Dual-Lock®

.

21. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein said fastening medium is a magnet generating a magnetic flux to operatively interconnect said carrier member to the support backing.

22. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said magnet is made of neodymium.

23. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said magnet is substantially doughnut-shaped to define an inner side and inner diameter of said magnet and a hole adapted to receive said at least one leg of said base member.

24. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 23, wherein said carrier member is substantially doughnut-shaped to define an inner side and inner diameter of said carrier member.

25. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 24, wherein said inner diameter of said magnet is greater than the inner diameter of said carrier member such that said at least one leg is disposed spaced from said inner side of said magnet.

26. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 23, wherein said fastener assembly further includes a fastening member adapted to removably fasten said fastening medium to said carrier member and to further attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

27. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 26, wherein said fastening member is adapted to be disposed through said hole of said fastening medium and said hole of said carrying face of said carrier member to removably fasten said fastening medium to said carrying face and to operatively engage said base member so as to further attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

28. The fastener assembly as recited in claim 27, wherein said fastening member includes at least one leg adapted to operatively engage said base member so as to attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

29. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 28, wherein said fastening member includes a pair of opposed legs disposed spaced relative to one another and adapted to operatively engage said base member so as to attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

30. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 28, wherein said leg of said fastening member is adapted to operatively engage corresponding said biasing member of said base member so as to attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

31. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 30, wherein said leg of said fastening member includes a flange adapted to snappingly engage corresponding said biasing member so as to attach said carrier member to said base member in articulating fashion.

32. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein said base member defines a rim disposed opposite said attaching face of said base member and adapted to give structural integrity to said base member.

33. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 32, wherein said rim is substantially uniform and extends substantially completely about the interior of said base member.

34. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein said base member defines at least one upstanding rib adapted to give structural integrity to said base member.

35. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 34, wherein said at least one rib includes a pair of ribs disposed on substantially opposite sides of said wall of said base member, wherein a portion of each of said ribs consists of a corresponding portion of said wall of said base member.

36. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 18, wherein said foot is integrally attached to the end of said leg opposite the decorative panel.

37. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 36, wherein said foot includes a tapered portion adapted to permit said carrier member to slide along said foot and into operative snapping engagement with said leg upon operatively attaching said carrier member to said base member.

38. The fastener assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein the top surface of said rim of said carrier member defines a plane that is substantially operatively parallel with substantially the entire surface of the top of said fastening medium such that the operative distance between the substantially entire top surface of said fastening medium and said plane is substantially uniform over the substantially entire surface area of the top of said fastening medium.