Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Having separate expander means – Including sleeve and distinct tapered expander
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-06
2001-08-28
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Having separate expander means
Including sleeve and distinct tapered expander
C411S061000, C411S173000, C411S182000, C411S542000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280129
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. The second part of the fastener, 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 fasteners of this type have greatly improved the prevailing torque (as defined hereinbelow), as well as the pulling force (as also defined hereinbelow) of the system.
In a number of circumstances, the fastener has to be applied in difficult to reach positions and locating the engageable hole of the fastener in order to insert the expanding member becomes a difficult task for the operator.
One major object of the instant invention is to provide fasteners which are easy to install even in awkward and difficult to reach positions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the following text, the following comments and definitions are appropriate:
The expanding member is preferably a screw having threads and a root on which the threads are supported.
The presence of the positive engagement increases prevailing torque and/or pulling force, as compared to the same fastener lacking said positive engagement.
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 (usually failure occurs an the bents that join the upper side of the head and the lower side of the head).
One engagement is commensurate to another engagement if both co-operate, are substantially well aligned with respect to each other, and have the same effect on the screw.
Engageable hole or region is an at least partial hole or region which can be engaged with a screw, or similar element.
At least partial hole may be a part of a hole, such as an arc for example. However, the hole does not have to be round, and in the case of the instant invention it has an oblong shape.
Curved portion is defined as a portion having a non-linear configuration, even if it comprises smaller non-aligned linear sections, such as saw tooth for example.
Arc is defined as arc of a circle.
Pitch of a screw is defined as the distance between two consecutive threads of the screw.
This invention pertains fasteners comprising:
(a) a substantially flat head portion having an upper side, and a lower side, the upper side having a first oblong hole being engageable to an expanding member, the first engageable oblong hole having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side being disposed at a first plane and the second side disposed at a second plane different than the first plane the first side having a first edge and the second side having a second edge;
(b) a neck having an opening and two side neck portions, the neck extending from the lower side of the substantially flat head portion at a substantially right angle with respect to the substantially flat head portion;
(c) two substantially flat legs extending from the neck, each leg having an inner surface, the two inner surfaces of the two legs being at an initial proximity with each other, the legs being expandable in opposite directions upon inserting through and engaging to the first oblong engageable hole an expanding member, thus bringing the expanding member to a contact region of the legs; and
(d) an oblong funnel configuration in the vicinity of the contact region, the oblong funnel being commensurate the first oblong engageable hole.
The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising two parts connected with a fastener, the fastener comprising:
(a) a substantially flat head portion having an upper side, and a lower side, the upper side having a first oblong hole being engageable to an expanding member, the first engageable oblong hole having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side being disposed at a first plane and the second side disposed at a second plane different than the first plane the first side having a first edge and the second side having a second edge;
(b) a neck having an opening and two side neck portions, the neck extending from the lower side of the substantially flat head portion at a substantially right angle with respect to the substantially flat head portion;
(c) two substantially flat legs extending from the neck, each leg having an inner surface, the two inner surfaces of the two legs being at an initial proximity with each other, the legs being expandable in opposite directions upon inserting through and engaging to the first oblong engageable hole an expanding member, thus bringing the expanding member to a contact region of the legs; and
(d) an oblong funnel configuration in the vicinity of the contact region, the oblong funnel being commensurate the first oblong engageable hole.
At least one of the first edge and the second edge may be linear, or curved, and may comprise arcs.
The expanding member may comprise threads, a root, and a pitch, and the first edge and the second edge may be preferably separated by a distance corresponding to the pitch of the expanding member.
The portion of the fastener under the upper side of the head may comprise an element engageable to the expanding member. Such engageable elements are described in provisional application No. 60/167,080 (Vassiliou), filed Nov. 23, 1999, No. 60/169,477 (Vassiliou), filed Dec. 7, 1999, No. 60/170,611, filed Dec. 14, 1999, and No. 60/179,834, all four of which provisional applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Also, when water-proofing, and/or gas-proofing are desired for a particular application, and/or vibration noises are to be prevented, an elastic body is preferably integrally molded at least at the lower side of the substantially flat head portion. Such elastic bodies are for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,343 (Smith), and in the provisional application No. 60/170,112, filed on Dec. 10, 1999, and which provisional application is incorporated herein by reference. The elastic body forms a gasket configuration, which hermetically seals the fastener through a slot on a pa
Lowry Joseph William
Vassiliou Eustathios
Vassiliou E.
Wilson Neill
WTPA, Incorporated
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