Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Having separate expander means – Oppositely acting double wedge expander means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-22
2001-10-09
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Having separate expander means
Oppositely acting double wedge expander means
C411S033000, C411S054000, C411S060100, C411S025000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299397
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a dual acting one piece fastener for fastening a pair of objects together and more particularly to a fastener for coupling furniture parts together.
BACKGROUND
Various types of fasteners are used for assembly of furniture and the like wherein it is desirable to make use of a fastener which is strong yet simple and quick to use. This includes the commercial assembly of cabinets and the like as well as assembly of furniture at the factory by professionals. The ready to assemble (RTA) furniture industry is one particular example involving furniture which is sold to the customer in a disassembled form that makes use of appropriate fasteners such that the customer is able to assemble the furniture in their homes using conventional tools. Fasteners designed for this use are preferably easy to use by the general public, while being secure and well hidden upon assembly of the RTA furniture.
An example of a fastener for RTA furniture is illustrated in European Application No. 0 949 424 to Hafele GmbH & CO. That application discloses a fastener for use in mounting a pair of panels together wherein the fastener includes a first expansible wedge member arranged to mount in a bore in one of the panels and a second expansible wedge member arranged to mount in a bore in the other panel. An actuator for the wedges is located at one end of the fastener such that the second wedge member is located centrally on the fastener and oriented such that upon assembly, an apex of the second wedge member is directed inwardly towards the panel securing the second wedge member therein. This occurs due to the location of the actuator at one end of the fastener which requires both wedges to be oriented in the same direction in order to make use of a common actuator. In this orientation, expansion of the second wedge member causes a wedging action to urge the fastener out of the panel instead of drawing the panels together. Furthermore, the first and second wedge members require different bore sizes in which to be received which results in added tooling and manufacturing costs when forming the panels.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention there is provided a fastener for securing together a pair of opposing objects having respective bores therein, the fastener comprising:
an elongate housing having first and second expansible portions at respective ends thereof for being slidably received within the respective bores;
first and second wedge members mounted adjacent the respective ends of the housing for engagement with the respective first and second expansible portions thereof, the wedge members and the respective expansible portions being mounted for sliding movement relative to one another in a longitudinal direction of the housing between a disengaged position and an engaged position wherein the wedge members are wedged within the respective expansible portions of the housing such that the expansible portions of the housing are expanded in a radial direction relative to the disengaged position; and
an actuator mounted on the housing for rotation about an actuator axis extending transversely to the elongate housing at a location spaced between the wedge members, the actuator being coupled to the wedge members respectively for displacing the wedge members relative to the expansible portions between the engaged and disengaged positions as the actuator is rotated relative to the housing.
The present invention permits a pair of panels to be mounted together using a fastener of one-piece assembly which can be secured to the panels at opposite ends of the fastener unlike the prior art. The central location of the actuator permits the wedges to act in opposing directions which is desirable when drawing two panels together. The actuator located between the ends of the fastener and oriented radially or transversely further acts as a guide for aligning the fastener. Furthermore, the fastener of the present invention may be arranged to have ends of similar size which requires only one common bore size. This reduces the manufacturing cost of panels to be assembled as less tooling is required when using the fastener of the present invention.
The expansible portions of the housing may be mounted for longitudinal sliding movement relative to one another, the expansible portions of the housing being coupled to the actuator to be displaced towards one another from the disengaged to the engaged positions respectively. In this arrangement, the length of the fastener is reduced upon installation for drawing together a pair of objects to be coupled as the fastener is mounted therebetween.
In one arrangement, the wedge members are fixed in relation to the housing and the expansible portions are slidably mounted on the housing for movement towards each other as the expansible portions are displaced from the disengaged to the engaged positions.
Alternatively, the expansible portions may be fixed in relation to the housing and wherein the wedge members are slidably mounted on the housing for movement away from each other as the wedge members are displaced from the disengaged to the engaged positions.
In yet another arrangement, the housing may comprise first and second longitudinally extending portions wherein the first portion mounts the first expansible portion and the second wedge member in fixed relation thereon and the second portion mounts the second expansible portion and the first wedge member in fixed relation thereon, the first and second portions of the housing being slidably mounted relative to one another for displacing the wedge members relative to the respective expansible portions between the disengaged and the engaged positions respectively.
When the housing comprises first and second portions, there may be provided a longitudinally extending groove along an inner face of the first portion of the housing and a longitudinally extending protrusion on an inner face of the second portion of the housing such that the protrusion is arranged to mate with the groove while permitting longitudinal sliding movement therebetween.
In one arrangement, the wedge members are coupled to the actuator to be displaced inwardly together from the disengaged to the engaged position.
The actuator may comprise a cam pivotally mounted about the actuator axis and wherein there is provided a cam follower associated with each wedge member for urging the wedge members into the engaged position as the cam is rotated.
The cam may include a pair of diametrically opposed camming faces arranged to respectively engage the cam followers associated with the wedge members respectively.
The cam may include a raised circular protrusion extending axially from both ends thereof and wherein there is provided a longitudinal slot in each portion of housing arranged to receive the respective protrusions of the actuator therein for pivotally mounting the actuator on the housing while permitting relative sliding movement therebetween.
The cam preferably has an arcuate profile arranged to engage the cam followers with an increasing radial dimension as the cam is pivoted from the disengaged position to the engaged position.
At least one of the cam followers may have a profile with a notch thereon to resist rotation of the cam from the engaged position to the disengaged position once the cam has been rotated past the notch.
The first and second expansible portions may be substantially equal in diameter. In this arrangement, only one size of bore is required to simplify manufacturing of the panels.
The expansible portions preferably each include a plurality of fins extending radially outward to respective penetrating free ends at a respective periphery thereof such that the fins are penetrated into the respective inner surfaces of the bores when the expansible portions are expanded.
In one embodiment, there may be provided a flexible tension member coupled between the first and second wedge members, wherein the actuator comprises a pivotal member having an aperture which receives the tension member therethrough s
Jacobson & Johnson
Wilson Neill
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