Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Washer structure – Including means for retaining washer to fastener
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-28
2001-06-05
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Washer structure
Including means for retaining washer to fastener
C411S433000, C411S546000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241446
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an assembly for supporting a shelf. In particular, this assembly includes arms which deflect thereby allowing the straight-line pre-assembly of a screw into the assembly. The flexible arms thereafter retain the screw in place and allow the screw to be threaded into the final assembled configuration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, shelf support assemblies, such as those used for refrigerators, were secured to the wall in the final assembled position by such devices as twist supports and screws. However, sometimes the screw could not be pre-assembled in the shelf support assembly, thereby requiring the separate packaging and shipment of the shelf support assemblies and the screws thereby increasing assembly time and cost. Similarly, prior to final assembly, sometimes the screw would fall out and require additional assembly time and cost to re-assemble. While some shelf support assemblies allowed pre-assembly by rotatably driving the screw into the internal threads of the shelf support assembly, this required an extra step in pre-assembly process and likewise may have required an extra step to adjust the position of the screw prior to final assembly.
While some prior art designs employed stubby fingers within the through-aperture of the assembly to secure the screw during pre-assembly, the sharp edges of the screws had a tendency to shear off the stubby fingers during insertion.
Other prior art designs have included detent members rather than screws which have been somewhat deficient with respect to secure installation.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shelf support assembly which allows pre-assembly of a screw into the shelf support assembly with a simple straight-line motion.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a shelf support assembly which allows straight-line adjustment of the screw in the pre-assembled position.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a shelf support assembly which retains the screw in the pre-assembled position, allowing the shelf support assembly to be shipped in the pre-assembled position and retaining the screw during most drops of the shelf support assembly.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a shelf support assembly wherein the sharp edges of the screw do not have a tendency to shear retention arms or similar structural elements.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention that the retention feature of the screw does not significantly increase the torque required to drive the screw into the mounting panel.
It is therefore a final object of the present invention to provide the above objects while maintaining low manufacturing, shipping and installation costs and a simple design.
These and other objects are attained by providing a shelf support assembly with a through-aperture and flexible arms spaced about a circumference of the through-aperture. The flexible arms deflect completely outwardly during the straight-line insertion or positional adjustment of the screw, and engage the threads of the screw thereby retaining the screw in the pre-assembled position while allowing the rotational driving of the screw during the final installation procedure. Moreover, this deflection of the arms tends to prevent the shearing of the arms by the sharp edges of threads of the screws. Furthermore, the deflection of the arms can absorb the shock of a drop in the pre-assembled position, allowing the screw to skip perhaps one or two threads, and re-engage in a pre-assembled position. The equal spacing of three flexible arms about a circumference of the through-aperture assures that all flexible arms are engaged in the root diameter of the screw threads to obtain maximum retention. The use of three flexible arms may be considered redundant in order to allow for tolerance variation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3083796 (1963-04-01), Bell, Jr.
patent: 4828444 (1989-05-01), Oshida
patent: 5098242 (1992-03-01), Schaty
patent: 5302070 (1994-04-01), Kameyama et al.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Wilson Neill
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