Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Threaded fastener locked to a discreet structure – Member preassembled with substructure at through-passage or...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-10
2003-11-25
Saether, Flemming (Department: 3679)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Threaded fastener locked to a discreet structure
Member preassembled with substructure at through-passage or...
C411S389000, C411S386000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06652208
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for fastening a panel of semi-rigid material, such as a so-called acoustic panel having a decorative face, to a substrate such as a wall or ceiling. The term “semi-rigid” is used for materials such as fiberglass (glass fiber reinforced resin), or other fibrous material, used in buildings for heat or sound insulation. Such materials are structurally weak but are capable of receiving special fasteners designed to be used with such material. The panels with which the present invention is primarily concerned usually have a decorative face and it is desired that any fastener used should be a so-called “blind” fastener which is hidden and does not noticeably spoil the appearance of the face.
2. Prior Art
Many different fastening devices and methods have been used hitherto with acoustic panels or similar panels, in a manner which does not affect the appearance of the panel.
In some cases plain, unmodified panels have been attached to a wall by glue or resin spots, or have been impaled onto the spikes of special impaling clips or fasteners. The impaling-type fasteners often need the addition of glue to hold properly. The use of glue means that the panel cannot be removed or re-adjusted in position without practically destroying the panel.
The impaling spikes usually slope upwards, to better hold the panel. This has the drawback that the panel must move downwards during its installation, so that a gap or “reveal” must occur between the top of a panel and a ceiling.
In other devices, a fastener part is attached to the rear of a panel, and mated with another fastener part attached to the wall. The fastening devices may involve metal clips such as so-called Z-clips, magnets, “Velcro” type fasteners, or concealed splines and tracks. These require time in the factory to attach the fastener portion to the panel, and care must be taken to properly align the wall portion of the fasteners with the panel part; for these reasons I prefer to avoid any component which needs prior attachment to the panels. The Z-clips need a downwards motion during installation and therefore also give a reveal. Some such fasteners, such as the “Velcro” type, do not hold strongly enough to be used on large panels or to hold panels to ceilings.
Although the semi-rigid material of these panels is too weak to hold ordinary wood screws, some special screws or fasteners have been designed for fiberglass insulation, for example as shown in the following U.S. patents:
No. 4,762,453, issued Aug. 9, 1988 to DeCaro,
No. 4,917,554, issued Apr. 17, 1990 to Bronn, and
No. 5,426,905, issued Jun. 27, 1995 to Rollhauser et al.
The screws or fasteners shown in these patents have large heads and are therefore unsuitable for use where a hidden or unobtrusive fastener is needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,622, issued Jul. 11, 1989 to Lien, describes a securing device for a hollow plastic frame part such as a window frame. The device includes a screw part which is rotatably attached to a substrate by an anchor screw, and which can be rotated to engage with an internally threaded holding element attached to the frame, rotation of the screw part being effected by a non-circular rod inserted through a bore in the outer face of the frame. This would not be a suitable construction for my purposes, firstly since it requires that the holding element be attached to the frame by a small screw before installation. Quite apart from the fact this kind of screw could not be used with semi-rigid material, as indicated above it is desired in the present invention to avoid use of any parts which need prior attachment to the acoustic panels. Also, Lien does not show a hidden fastener; he has a bore in the outer face of his frame which is quite noticeable, and which in accordance with his construction must be larger than the head of his anchor screw to accommodate the non-circular rod. In fact, this bore shown by Lien is almost twice the diameter of his anchor screw.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention resulted from a need for an improved fastener, especially for acoustic or insulating panels made of semi-rigid material, the fastener having at least some of the following advantages over current fasteners:
1. It provides a strong hold on the panel so as to be suitable for holding ceiling panels;
2. It does not require the addition of any part by the panel manufacturer; it can be used on plain acoustic panels produced by many different manufacturers;
3. It is simple and quick to apply;
4. It provides a fastener which is almost entirely hidden, with only minimal disturbance of the front of the panel; and
5. It allows a panel to be removed and replaced.
The present invention, as with that of my aforesaid '130 application, provides a fastener for attaching a rear face of a panel of semi-rigid material to a substrate, in which the fastener comprises:
an anchor part for attachment to the substrate surface;
a screw part having an inner end connected to the anchor part so as to be rotatable relative to the substrate, the screw part having a helical member with an outer end capable of penetrating the rear face of the panel upon rotation of the screw part;
drive means for rotating the screw part including an elongated drive rod arranged to engage an outer end portion of the screw part.
The drive rod is capable of extending through the panel when the helical member contacts the rear face of the panel so that the drive rod is accessible at the front face of the panel to cause the helical member to rotate and penetrate the rear face of the panel and to become embedded in an inner portion of the panel to secure the panel onto the substrate. The drive rod is removable after the panel has been secured, and this drive rod is a small fraction of the diameter of the screw part so as to require only a small hole in the panel, and so that the fastener is essentially concealed within the panel.
It will be understood that the screw part used in accordance with this invention is fundamentally different from screw devices hitherto known to me. It has a large diameter helical member or flange, similar to that of an auger, the helical member or flange being preferably well over an inch in diameter. Unlike the kind of screw part shown by Lien, it can penetrate the rear face of a panel without any prior preparation of the panel, and for example it can penetrate and engage an unapertured panel. It is also unlike all screws known to me, except that of Lien, in being driven, not from its head, but from the other or “tail” end, i.e. the end that first penetrates the semi-rigid material. This is achieved by use of the drive rod which projects from the outer end of the screw part and passes through the panel material and is accessed from the front face of the panel.
The drive rod may be a non-circular rod or pin, for example a hexagonal rod, which engages in a non-circular recess in the outer end of the screw part, and which can be pulled out of the recess when the panel has been installed. Alternatively, the drive rod may be formed integrally with the screw part, for example being formed of plastic, and may be broken off when the panel has been installed. It may have a pointed outer end for penetrating the panel.
Preferably, the screw part includes a shaft rotatably held by the anchor part, and a helical member surrounding the shaft. The helical member has a diameter greater than the length of the screw part; in fact the diameter of the helical member is usually more than twice the shaft length. The drive rod has a diameter such that the bore formed in the panel is not noticeable when the drive rod is withdrawn. The drive rod has a diameter which is a small fraction (say less than ¼) the screw part diameter, being preferably less than ⅛ of an inch, and less than ⅛ the maximum diameter of the helical member, and most preferably less than {fraction (1/16)} of this maximum diameter. These diameters of course also apply to the non-circular recess which receives the dri
Jones Tullar & Cooper P.C.
Saether Flemming
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