Article for blind fastening to a support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036410-B2
Application number	US-201314760231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2013
Priority date	Jan 17, 2013
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

The invention concerns an article comprising a first part fitted with flexible lugs, a second part with a foot configured to be moved in rotation in relation to the first part, and with a head to which the foot is connected, and a blocking element, a guide zone and a locking zone configured to allow the rotation then the locking in rotation of the second part in relation to the first part, in order for the article to pass from a waiting configuration, in which the element is in the guide zone and the lugs are in a rest position, to a locked configuration in which the element is in the locking zone, the lugs are in a working position in which they are spaced in relation to the rest position and the second part is blocked in relation to the first part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article to be blind-fixed to a support provided with an opening of predetermined contour, comprising:
a first part with two flexible lugs each having a free end and being configured to assume, in the absence of stress, a rest position in which they can be introduced without force into said opening of said support, over a first predetermined length from their first free end, and to assume a working position in which they are spaced in relation to said rest position, in order to fix said article to said support, wherein an element is configured to rest on said support when said flexible lugs have been introduced into said opening of said support over said first predetermined length, and a body to which each said flexible lug is connected by a second end opposite said respective first free end and which is provided with an opening of predetermined contour which opens between said flexible lugs, wherein the element configured to rest on said support protrudes away from the body in a direction normal to a bottom face of the body, and
a second part fitted with a fixing foot having a free end which is configured to cooperate with said first part such that it can be introduced axially from its free end through said opening of said body of said first part, and such that it can be moved in rotation in relation to said first part to cause said flexible lugs to move from their rest position to their working position, and with a head to which said fixing foot is connected via a second end opposite said free end;
said article being characterized in that it also comprises at least one blocking element, at least one guide zone and at least one locking zone each configured to receive said at least one blocking element, said at least one blocking element, said at least one guide zone and said at least one locking zone being configured to allow the rotation of said second part in relation to said first part until said flexible lugs reach their working position, then the locking in rotation of said second part in relation to said first part, said article thus moving from a waiting configuration in which said blocking element is in said at least one guide zone and said flexible lugs are in their rest position, to a locked configuration in which said blocking element is in said at least one locking zone, said flexible lugs are in their working position and said second part is blocked in relation to said first part.

2. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said guide zone is formed by a circumferential groove, said locking zone is formed by an opening arranged adjacent to said circumferential groove, and said blocking element is formed by a rigid finger arranged protruding from a face of said article and intended to be introduced and guided in said circumferential groove then to be introduced in said opening.

3. The article as claimed in claim 2 , wherein it also comprises a boss arranged protruding into said circumferential groove at a distance from an end of said circumferential groove which is situated next to said opening.

4. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said blocking element has a first face with a first predetermined slope and a second face opposite said first face and with a second predetermined slope greater than said first slope, said first face being directed towards said locking zone on movement of said blocking element in said guide zone, and said second face being directed towards said guide zone when said blocking element is in said locking zone.

5. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said second part comprises said at least one blocking element, and said first part comprises said at least one guide zone and said at least one locking zone.

6. The article as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said guide and locking zones are arranged in said body of said first part and said at least one blocking element extends protruding from a lower face of said head of said second part, which lower face is configured to come to rest against an upper face of said body.

7. The article as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said body also comprises a lower face opposite said upper face, which lower face has a flat central portion and a sloping peripheral portion, and said guide and locking zones are arranged peripherally on said body and open both in said upper face and in said sloping peripheral portion of said lower face of said body.

8. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fixing foot comprises a trunk with an outer lateral wall and two spacing elements protruding from said outer lateral wall and configured to come into contact with the inner faces of said flexible lugs.

9. The article as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said inner face of each said flexible lug has a sloping portion and each said spacing element has a sloping portion with a slope similar to that of said sloping portion of said inner face of each said flexible lug.

10. The article as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said first part also comprises at least one rotational stop element protruding from a lower face of said body close to said opening of said first part, and both said spacing elements are each provided with a side wall configured to come to rest against said at least one rotational stop element when said article is in its locked configuration.

11. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it comprises stop elements formed on said first and second parts and configured to retain said second part axially in relation to said first part.

12. The article as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said flexible lugs of said first part have opposing inner faces, lateral faces connecting to said inner faces, and depressions opening respectively in one said inner face and in one said lateral face, and said fixing foot of said second part comprises two teeth extending radially and configured to be accommodated in said depressions when said article is in the locked configuration.

13. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said head is formed by a hook with an undercut configured to receive a peg of a vehicle sun visor.

14. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the element configured to rest on said support is supported by the body in a spaced away relationship with respect to each of said flexible lugs.

15. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first part has a top that is completely planar save for holes therethrough.

16. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the article is in the fully locked position, the flexible lugs are flexed outward away from each other and held flexed out by the second part, thereby locking the article to the support.

17. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fixing foot comprises a trunk with a globally rectangular contour.

18. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said locking zone is a completely separate feature from said guide zone completely spaced away from said guide zone via structure of the article.

19. The article as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said guide zone is an arcuate enclosed opening in the first part that opens at least towards the flexible lugs.

20. An article to be blind-fixed to a support provided with an opening of predetermined contour, comprising:
a first part with two flexible lugs each having a free end and being configured to assume, in the absence of stress, a rest position in which they can be introduced without force into said opening of said support, over a first predetermined length from their first free end, and to assume a working position in

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Lesecq Jean-Pierre

Classifications

• F16B19/1081 Primary

  fastened by a drive-pin (F16B19/109 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16B19/1036 Primary

  Blind rivets · CPC title