Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Having separate expander means – Including sleeve and distinct tapered expander
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-21
2001-04-10
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Having separate expander means
Including sleeve and distinct tapered expander
C411S080100, C411S182000, C411S508000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213700
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a grommet wherein the screw can be partially inserted or pre-driven into an aperture with outwardly adjacent peripheral boss segments about the mouth of the aperture which are intended to extend through the aperture of a panel to be engaged. As the screw is fully driven, the chamfer of the screw urges the boss segments outwardly to engage the panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, grommets can require several steps for installation which can complicate an assembly process. For instance, if the grommet requires that a screw be inserted after the grommet has contacted the panel to be engaged, rather than before such contact, then an extra step is included in the assembly process in that a screw must be picked from stock on the assembly line and inserted into a torque driver. This furthermore adds the screw as an additional part to inventory. While grommets with partially driven screws can be used to engage keyhole slots in the secondary panel, this can be likewise disadvantageous in that a keyhole slot rather than a round aperture is required in the secondary panel and further requires separate forward and downward motions for installation, which is not always possible in confined spaces, such as would be encountered in automotive applications.
Examples of prior art in this field include U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,419 entitled “Part-Fixing Clip” issued on Mar. 26, 1985 to Mitomi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,030 entitled “Plastic Screw Grommet” issued on Apr. 4, 1978 to Erickson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,300 issued on Mar. 7, 1978 to Yoda.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a grommet which can be used to simplify the assembly process.
It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a grommet in which the screw can be engaged or pre-driven into the grommet prior to installation of the grommet thereby simplifying the assembly process and eliminating a part from inventory for the automated process.
It is therefore a still further object of this invention to provide a grommet which can be engaged to a panel by a single forward movement.
It is therefore a still further object of this invention to provide a grommet which can engage a secondary panel.
These and other objects are attained by providing a grommet with an aperture and outwardly adjacent peripheral boss segments about the mouth of the aperture. A screw can be pre-driven or partially inserted into the aperture, with the head of screw typically of a diameter typically equally to, or at least not larger than, the diameter defined by the distance between the outer walls of the boss segments. The aperture in the secondary panel to be engaged is intended to be of a diameter substantial equal to the diameter defined by the distance between the outer walls of the boss segments. Therefore, the head of the pre-driven screw can be inserted by a single forward motion through the aperture in the secondary panel thereby inserting the boss segments through the aperture in the secondary panel. The screw is then fully inserted into the aperture of the grommet so that the chamfer of the screw head forces the boss segments outwardly thereby engaging the secondary panel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4077300 (1978-03-01), Yoda
patent: 4082030 (1978-04-01), Erickson
patent: 4506419 (1985-03-01), Mitomi
patent: 4743152 (1988-05-01), Nakayama et al.
patent: 4906152 (1990-03-01), Kurihara
patent: 4971500 (1990-11-01), Benoit et al.
patent: 5269640 (1993-12-01), Jonishi et al.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Wilson Neill
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