U-base fastener with folded barb and multiple spring arms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894516-B2
Application number	US-201816007728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2018
Priority date	Oct 18, 2017
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A resilient U-base fastener includes a U-shaped body defining a central body cavity between a first side and a second side. The first side is connected to the second side at an insertion end. The U-base fastener also includes a first spring arm connected to the first side of the body that bends outwardly and away from the central body cavity at a first bend and a second spring arm connected to the first side of the body adjacent the first spring arm. The second spring arm bends outwardly and away from the central body cavity at a second bend. The first spring arm and the second spring arm are laterally spaced apart from one another and are separated by a gap in the first side of the body. The gap extends toward the insertion end past the first bend and past the second bend.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A resilient U-base fastener for coupling a first component having a rib to a second component having an aperture therethrough, the resilient U-base fastener comprising:
a U-shaped body defining a central rib receiving cavity between a first side and a second side, the first side connected to the second side at an insertion end, the central rib receiving cavity being designed to receive the rib;
a first rib retention barb connected to the first side of the body and bending inwardly into the central rib receiving cavity and toward the insertion end, the first rib retention barb being positioned and designed to retain the rib within the central rib receiving cavity;
a first aperture retention spring arm connected to the first side of the body and bending outwardly away from the central rib receiving cavity and away from the insertion end at a first bend, the first aperture retention spring arm being positioned and designed to engage a periphery of the aperture to retain the resilient U-base fastener within the aperture;
a second aperture retention spring arm connected to the first side of the body adjacent the first aperture retention spring arm, the second aperture retention spring arm bending outwardly away from the central rib receiving cavity and away from the insertion end at a second bend, the second aperture retention spring arm being positioned and designed to engage the periphery of the aperture to retain the resilient U-base fastener within the aperture; and
wherein the first aperture retention spring arm and the second aperture retention spring arm are laterally spaced apart from one another and are separated from one another by a gap in the first side of the body, wherein inner lateral edges of the first and second aperture retention spring arms, respectively, define opposite sides of the gap with the inner later edges and the gap in the first side of the body continuously extending from respective free distal ends of the first and second aperture retention spring arms toward the insertion end past the first bend and past the second bend.

2. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the gap extends at least 1 mm past the first bend.

3. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the gap extends past the first bend by a vertical distance of at least one-third of a lateral width of the first aperture retention spring arm.

4. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein the first bend and the second bend are aligned at a vertical height above the insertion end to define a bend line, and the gap extends at least 1 mm past the bend line.

5. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 1 wherein:
the first aperture retention spring arm includes a first shoulder at which the first spring aperture retention arm bends back toward the central rib receiving cavity;
the second aperture retention spring arm includes a second shoulder at which the second aperture retention spring arm bends back toward the central rib receiving cavity; and
the aperture retention first shoulder is positioned at a first vertical height relative to a trailing end of the fastener located opposite to the insertion end and is positioned and designed to engage and retain the periphery of the aperture in the panel having a first thickness related to the first vertical height, and the second aperture retention shoulder is positioned at a second vertical height relative to a trailing end of the fastener that is different from the first vertical height and is positioned and designed to engage and retain the periphery of the aperture in the panel having a second thickness related to the second vertical height.

6. A resilient U-base fastener for coupling a first component having a rib to a second component having an aperture therethrough, the resilient U-base fastener comprising:
a U-shaped body defining a rib receiving cavity between a first side and a second side, the first side connected to the second side at an insertion end, the central rib receiving cavity being designed to receive the rib;
a first rib retention barb connected to the first side of the body and bending inwardly into the central rib receiving cavity and toward the insertion end, the first rib retention barb being positioned and designed to retain the rib within the central rib receiving cavity;
a first aperture retention spring arm connected to the first side of the body and bending outwardly away from the central rib receiving cavity and away from the insertion end, the first aperture retention spring arm being positioned and designed to engage a periphery of the aperture to retain the resilient U-base fastener within the aperture;
a second aperture retention spring arm connected to the first side of the body adjacent the first aperture retention spring arm, the second aperture retention spring arm bending outwardly away from the central rib receiving cavity and away from the insertion end, the second aperture retention spring arm being positioned and designed to engage the periphery of the aperture to retain the resilient U-base fastener within the aperture; and
wherein an inner lateral edge of the first aperture retention spring arm and an inner lateral edge of the second aperture retention spring arm define opposite sides of a gap in the first side that continuously extends from respective free distal ends of the first and second aperture retention spring arms toward the insertion end to separate the first aperture retention spring arm from the second aperture retention spring arm from one another, and the inner lateral edge of the first aperture retention spring arm has an inner vertical height that is longer than an outer vertical height of an outer lateral edge of the first aperture retention spring arm.

7. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 6 wherein the inner vertical height is at least 1 mm longer than the outer vertical height.

8. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 6 wherein a base edge of the gap connects the inner lateral edge of the first aperture retention spring arm to the inner lateral edge of the second aperture retention spring arm, and the base edge is positioned vertically closer to the insertion end of the body than respective base edges of outer lateral edges of the first and second aperture retention spring arms at which the respective base edges of the first and second aperture retention spring arms connect to the first side of the body.

9. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 6 comprising:
a first barb extension extending laterally outwardly from a first lateral side edge of the second side and being bent to support the first rib retention barb in the central rib receiving cavity; and
a second barb extension extending laterally outwardly from a second lateral side edge of the second side and being bent to support a second rib retention barb in the central rib receiving cavity, wherein the second rib retention barb extends inwardly and toward the insertion end, and wherein the second rib retention barb is positioned and designed to retain the rib within the central rib receiving cavity.

10. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 6 comprising a second rib retention barb connected to the first side, the second rib retention barb bending inwardly into the central rib receiving cavity and toward the insertion end, the second rib retention barb being positioned and designed to retain the rib within the central rib receiving cavity.

11. The resilient U-base fastener of claim 10 wherein the first rib retention barb and the second rib retention barb are positioned adjacent to and separated from the first aperture retention spring arm, and the first rib retention barb is positioned at a differe

Assignees

• Newfrey Llc

Inventors

• Benedetti Steven M
• Boylan Wayne Robert

Classifications

• F16B5/065

  the plates being one on top of the other and distanced from each other, e.g. by using protrusions to keep contact and distance · CPC title

• F16B21/075

  the socket having resilient parts on its inside and outside · CPC title

• F16B2/243

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

• F16B5/0657

  at least one of the plates providing a raised structure, e.g. of the doghouse type, for connection with the clamps or clips of the other plate · CPC title

• B60R13/0206 Primary

  Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings (devices for fastening or securing F16B) · CPC title