Dual component U-base fastener

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590968-B2
Application number	US-201815909057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2018
Priority date	Mar 1, 2018
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A u-shaped outer component includes at least one rib retention barb, and a u-shaped inner component includes at least one aperture retention wing. The outer component and the inner component are separate and are coupled together to create an assembled unit defining an interior rib receiving cavity with the at least one rib retention barb extending into the interior rib receiving cavity and the at least one aperture retention wing of the inner component extending exteriorly from the outer component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual component U-base fastener designed to connect a first component having a rib to a second component having an aperture comprising:
a u-shaped outer component including a first outer side and a second outer side connected at an outer insertion end to form the u-shaped outer component;
a u-shaped inner component including a first inner side and a second inner side connected at an inner insertion end to form the u-shaped inner component; and
wherein the outer component and the inner component are separate components that are coupled together to create an assembled unit defining an interior rib receiving cavity between both the first and second outer sides of the outer component and the first and second inner sides of the inner component, and wherein the u-shaped outer component includes at least one rib retention barb extending into the interior rib receiving cavity and designed to engage the rib to couple the assembled unit to the rib with the rib received within the interior rib retention cavity, and wherein the u-shaped inner component includes at least one aperture retention wing of the inner component extending exteriorly from the outer component and designed to engage the aperture to couple the assembled unit to the aperture with the inner and outer insertion ends extending through the aperture.

2. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the outer component is made of a first material and the inner component is made of a second material that is different from the first material.

3. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the outer component is made of metal and the inner component is made of plastic.

4. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the at least one rib retention barb is supported by a first barb extension, the first barb extension extends from a first lateral side edge of the first outer side of the outer component and the first barb extension is bent inwardly into the interior rib receiving cavity of the assembled unit.

5. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the at least one rib retention barb comprises a first rib retention barb and a second rib retention barb and the first rib retention barb is supported by the first barb extension and the second rib retention barb is supported by a second barb extension, the second barb extension extends from a second lateral side edge of the first outer side of the outer component and the second barb extension is bent inwardly into the interior rib receiving cavity of the assembled unit.

6. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 5 wherein inner component is received in a channel between inner side edges of the first barb extension and the second barb extension of the outer component in the assembled unit.

7. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 6 wherein the inner side edges of the first barb extension and the second barb extension each include a chamfer angled to guide the inner component into the channel when the inner component is inserted into the outer component.

8. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 7 wherein:
the outer insertion end includes a hole; and
the inner insertion end includes a post, the post projecting through the hole to center the inner component in the interior rib receiving cavity of the outer component.

9. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the first outer side includes a first opening, the at least one aperture retention wing projects through the first opening to retain the inner component to the outer component.

10. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 9 wherein the at least one aperture retention wing includes a retention tooth projecting away from an outer surface of the at least one aperture retention wing, the retention tooth positioned to engage an edge of the first opening to prevent the inner component of the assembled unit from uncoupling from the outer component.

11. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 9 wherein the at least one aperture retention wing comprises a first aperture retention wing and a second aperture retention wing, the first aperture retention wing of the inner component projecting through the first opening in the first outer side of the outer component, the second aperture retention wing of the inner component projecting through a second opening in the second outer side of the outer component.

12. A dual component U-base fastener designed to connect a first component having a rib to a second component having an aperture comprising:
a u-shaped outer component including a first outer side and a second outer side connected at an outer insertion end to form the u-shaped outer component, and each of the first and second outer sides having an opening therethrough and supporting an inwardly extending rib retention barb;
a u-shaped inner component including a first inner side and a second inner side connected at an inner insertion end to form the u-shaped inner component, and each of the first and second inner sides comprising an outwardly extending aperture retention wing;
wherein the inner component and the outer component are separate components that are coupled together to create an assembled unit defining an interior rib receiving cavity between both the first and second outer sides of the outer component and the first and second inner sides of the inner component, and into which the rib retention barbs extend, and in which the inner component is received in the outer component with the aperture retention wings extending outwardly through the opening on each side of the outer component; and
wherein the aperture retention wings extend outwardly through the opening on each side of the outer component and are designed to couple the assembled unit to the aperture with the inner and outer insertion ends extending through the aperture, and the rib retention barbs extend inwardly into the interior rib receiving cavity and are designed to couple the assembled unit to the rib with the rib received within the interior rib retention cavity.

13. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 12 wherein the rib retention barbs include a first rib retention barb and a second rib retention barb inwardly extending from the first outer side and a third rib retention barb and a fourth rib retention barb inwardly extending from the second outer side.

14. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 13 wherein each of the first and second rib retention barbs is supported by first and second barb extensions, respectively, each of the first and second barb extensions extend from respective first and second lateral side edges of the first outer side of the outer component and each of the first and second barb extensions is bent inwardly into the interior rib receiving cavity of the assembled unit, and wherein each of the third and fourth rib retention barbs is supported by third and fourth barb extensions, respectively, each of the third and fourth barb extensions extend from respective third and fourth lateral side edges of the second outer side of the outer component and each of the third and fourth barb extensions is bent inwardly into the interior rib receiving cavity of the assembled unit.

15. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 14 wherein the inner component is received in a channel between inner side edges of the first, second, third, and fourth barb extensions of the outer component in the assembled unit.

16. The dual component U-base fastener of claim 15 wherein the inner side edges of the first, second, third, and fourth barb extensions each include a chamfer a

Assignees

• Newfrey Llc

Inventors

• Benedetti Steven M

Classifications

• F16B2/243 Primary

  internal, i.e. with spreading action · CPC title

• B60R13/00

  Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes · CPC title

• F16B5/0664

  at least one of the sheets or plates having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features · CPC title

• F16B5/126

  at least one of the sheets, plates, bars or strips having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features · CPC title

• F16B2/245

  external, i.e. with contracting action · CPC title