Joints and connections – Biased catch or latch
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-24
2001-03-06
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Biased catch or latch
C403S408100, C411S041000, C411S048000, C411S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196756
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to fasteners and, more particularly, to fasteners that can be installed without tools.
BACKGROUND ART
Releasable fastener assemblies are commonly used in vehicles, such as automobiles, by insertion into a blind hole formed in the vehicle cabin above the windshield to receive, for example, a sun visor. It would be desirable for such releasable fastener assemblies to be easily installed by an operator on a vehicle assembly line without the need of installation tools or significant muscular effort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to enable an operator to fix the article, notably on a vehicle assembly line, without a tool and with moderate effort, that is to say with an effort which does not give rise to any particular muscular fatigue.
To this end the invention proposes an article to be fixed blind on a support provided with an opening of predetermined contour, characterised in that the article comprises:
a) a first piece having:
i) two flexible lugs disposed, in the absence of any force, in a predetermined rest position, over a predetermined length as measured from their free ends for insertion without effort into the opening in the support, and being movable from the rest position into, a position of locking on the support,
ii) a stop for bearing against the support when the flexible lugs have been inserted into the opening in the support to their predetermined length, and
iii) a body to which the flexible lugs are connected at a second end, thereof, the body being provided with an opening of predetermined contour opening out between the flexible lugs; and
b) a second piece having:
i) a fixing foot adapted to cooperate with the first piece so that the fixing foot can be inserted, from a free end thereof, through the opening in the body of the first piece, so that the article to be fixed affords a configuration of locking on the support in which the fixing foot keeps the flexible lugs of the first piece separated in the locking position,
ii) snapping-in means to hold the second piece on the first piece when the article to be fixed is in the locking configuration on the support, and
iii) an element to which the fixing foot is connected at a second end thereof.
In practice, the useful portion of the article to be fixed is this element which forms a part of the second piece (e.g., a vehicle sun-visor hook).
To fix the article, the operator inserts the flexible lugs on the first piece into the opening in the support until the stop on the first piece bears on the support. The operator then pushes the fixing foot on the second piece into the opening in the body of the first piece until it reaches the locking configuration in which the first piece is held on the support by virtue of the fact that the flexible lugs are kept separated, and in which the second piece is held on the first piece by virtue of the snapping-in means.
It can be seen that the article is fitted on the support by a simple movement of pushing the first piece onto the support and then the second piece into the second piece, and that only the operation of inserting the fixing foot on the second piece into the first piece requires an effort.
Because the first piece does not snap onto the support before the second piece is pushed into the first piece, the force required to effect this insertion can be particularly moderate.
According to preferred characteristics, for practical design reasons:
each flexible lug has, on the external side, a surface inclined towards the outside and towards its free end, in order to be engaged with the periphery of the opening in the support when the flexible lugs are separated from each other after having been inserted into the opening in the support over the predetermined length; and
the snapping-in means, which the second piece has in order to be held on the first piece when the article to be fixed is in the configuration of locking on the support, has teeth disposed at the end of the fixing foot, on the external side, adapted to be located beyond the fixing lugs when the article is in the locking configuration, and each having a stop surface coming opposite to the free end of a respective one of the said flexible lugs.
According to other preferred characteristics, the first and second pieces have means for being held on each other in a waiting configuration in which the fixing foot on the second piece is partially inserted through the opening in the first piece, and in which the flexible lugs on the first piece are in the position of rest.
Mounting the article on the support is thus particularly simple, since it suffices for the operator to grip it by the element on the second piece, and then to effect an overall pushing-in movement in which the first piece is first of all positioned opposite the support, and then the second piece is pushed into the first piece as far as the locking configuration.
Preferably, for reasons of ease of production, the means for holding the article in the idle configuration include:
on the first piece, flexible blades extending from the body on the same side as the flexible lugs, respectively on each side of the opening, each flexible blade being provided on the inside with a tooth situated close to the body; and
on the second piece, two notches disposed on each side of the fixing foot, close to its free end, in order to receive the teeth of the flexible blades.
According to other preferred characteristics, the first and second pieces are adapted to cooperate so that, from the locking configuration, the second piece can pivot coaxially with respect to the first piece, as far as an unlocking configuration in which the fixing foot on the second piece allows the flexible lugs to move closer to each other as far as the idle position.
Thus, if it proves useful for the operator to remove the article, he can do so in a similar fashion to its mounting, that is to say without a tool and without effort.
Preferably, for practical design reasons:
the first piece has, on each flexible lug, on the inner side, a cam extending over a predetermined length from the free end;
the second piece has a fixing foot having, over a predetermined length as from its free end, a part having roughly an H cross section with a web and two flanges, the external surfaces of the flanges being adapted to cooperate with the cams in order to keep the flexible lugs separated in the locking configuration, each space delimited by the said web and the said flanges being adapted to receive a said cam in the said unlocking configuration.
The invention also relates, in a second aspect, to a vehicle provided with the article which has just been disclosed, mounted on a support forming part of this vehicle.
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patent: 195 11 580 A1 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 0 691 230 A1 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 1270540 (1969-06-01), None
Bochna David E.
Browne Lynne H.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Lowe Hauptman Gilman & Berner
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