Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Having separate expander means – With hole forming means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-30
2001-06-26
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Having separate expander means
With hole forming means
C411S055000, C411S060200, C411S064000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250864
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains fasteners, and more particularly fasteners which have expandable legs and which attach one object to another object.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the original conventional technology of fasteners employed to securely attach one object to another, such as for example one part to another in the case of an automobile or an appliance, has utilized a nut on one of the two objects, usually welded or glued to the back of said object, and a bolt passing through a hole on the second object in a manner to be engaged by the nut, thereby securing the two objects together.
This arrangement presents many problems, among which, one of the most important is that in the case that one object is hollow, the nut has to be in place at the back of the hollow object before assembling the two objects together. If for any reason the nut is misplaced, and/or if it becomes desirable to introduce a new fastening connection between the two objects, the task of achieving such connection becomes very difficult if not impossible for all practical purposes.
The so-called “quick nuts” have also been used to connect two objects. In addition, vibration during the operation of a device, such as an automobile or appliance for example, containing the two objects results very often in loosening of the bolt or “quick nut” and in either full disassembling of the objects from each other, or in a vibration noise which is most annoying and often of unacceptable levels. Further, such connections are not water-resistant and water may be easily penetrate the connection point and be transferred from one side of one or both objects to the other side.
Recently, fasteners of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,238 (Vassiliou) have been utilized to reduce considerably the potential of bolt or screw loosening and vibration. They have also eliminated the problem of having to place one member of the fastener at the back portion of the hollow object. These fasteners are placed through a slot from the front part of the hollow object. An expanding member, being usually a bolt or a screw, supports the second object by forcing the legs of the fastener (as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,238) to open or expand, thereby securing the two objects together. The legs of the fasteners are supported by a double-layered head having an upper side and a lower side joined by side bents. The fasteners of this type have greatly improved the prevailing torque, as well as the pulling force of the system. Prevailing torque is the torque required to render a screw loose. Pulling force is the pulling force applied on the screw to the point of failure, which usually occurs at the bents.
One drawback of the above fasteners is that the two layers or sides of the head separate the two objects to be connected together by a distance equal to the head thickness, unless there is a recess in at least one of the objects to nest the head. This situation is worsened by the fact that the bents joining the two layers or sides of the head should to have a curvature as high as possible in order to increase the pulling force and prevent premature failure. Thus, in many occasions it is desirable to have fasteners having a single-layered head in order to minimize the thickness of said head.
It is one object of this invention to provide such fasteners having a substantially single-layered head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains an L-shaped segment which can be combined with a second L-shaped segment to form a fastener having a T-shaped structure the T-shaped structure comprising:
a substantially flat head, the substantially flat head having a hole engageable to an expansion member, the substantially flat head comprising a first single-layer head portion being part of the first L-shaped segment and a second single-layer head portion being part of the second L-shaped segment, the first single-layer head portion having a first inward extension, and the second single-layer head portion having a second inward extension;
a double-layer neck portion having an opening comprising a funnel configuration, and extending from the substantially flat head in a direction substantially perpendicular to said substantially flat head; and
a double-layer leg portion extending from the double-layer neck portion in a direction substantially parallel to said double-layer neck portion.
The present invention also pertains a sheet-metal fastener comprising an assembly of a first L-shaped segment and a second L-shaped segment combined together to form a T-shaped structure the T-shaped structure comprising
a substantially flat head, the substantially flat head having a hole engageable to an expansion member, the substantially flat head comprising a first single-layer head portion being part of the first L-shaped segment and a second single-layer head portion being part of the second L-shaped segment, the first single-layer head portion having a first inward extension, and the second single-layer head portion having a second inward extension;
a double-layer neck portion having an opening comprising a funnel configuration, and extending from the substantially flat head in a direction substantially perpendicular to said substantially flat head; and
a double-layer leg portion extending from the double-layer neck portion in a direction substantially parallel to said double-layer neck portion.
The present invention is also related to a vehicle comprising two elements connected with a sheet-metal fastener, the vehicle comprising an assembly of a first L-shaped segment and a second L-shaped segment combined together to form a T-shaped structure the T-shaped structure comprising
a substantially flat head, the substantially flat head having a hole engageable to an expansion member, the substantially flat head comprising a first single-layer head portion being part of the first L-shaped segment and a second single-layer head portion being part of the second L-shaped segment, the first single-layer head portion having a first inward extension, and the second single-layer head portion having a second inward extension;
a double-layer neck portion having an opening comprising a funnel configuration, and extending from the substantially flat head in a direction substantially perpendicular to said substantially flat head; and
a double-layer leg portion extending from the double-layer neck portion in a direction substantially parallel to said double-layer neck portion.
At least one of the first L-shaped segment and the second L-shaped segment may comprise at least one outwardly disposed barb.
At least one of the first inward extension and the second inward extension may be adequately wide to overlap the other. Thus, the substantially flat head may be fully single-layered before insertion of the expanding member through the engageable hole, or after insertion of the expanding member through the engageable hole. However, one of the first inward extension and the second inward extension may overlap the other even after the insertion of the expanding member through the engageable hole.
The sheet-metal fastener may further comprise an additional engagement section, for further engaging the expanding member, at a part of the fastener under the head.
The sheet-metal fastener may also comprise an elastic body molded in the vicinity of the head and at least under the head.
The engageable hole at the head of the fastener may have a shape selected from a group consisting substantially round and substantially oblong.
The expanding member is preferably a screw.
The engageable hole is preferably an at least partial impression corresponding to the pitch of a fastening member, such as a screw for example. In some occasions is critical that this impression is extended downwardly with regard to the substantially flat head, and in some occasions is critical that this impression is extended upwardly with regard to the substantially flat head.
The first L-shaped segment may be physically connected to the second L-shaped segment. This secondary connection may
Vassiliou E.
Wilson Neill
WTPA, Incorporated
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