Insertion-locking pin and grommet and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528540-B2
Application number	US-201414457195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2014
Priority date	Aug 12, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A pin and grommet fastener is assembled into a shipping configuration in which the pin is retained in a first position relative to the grommet with longitudinally extending leg members of the grommet in an unexpanded state. Cooperating members are provided on the pin and the grommet to engage each other in a locking configuration in which the pin is retained in a second position relative to the grommet causing the longitudinally extending leg members to be in a laterally expanded state. A driving member is provided on the pin to engage a periphery of an aperture of a joining part to cause the joining part to automatically drive the pin from the first position to the second position simultaneously with the insertion of the assembled pin and grommet into the aperture of the joining part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener comprising:
a grommet defining a central aperture with at least two adjacent longitudinally extending leg members;
a pin having a first locking member in the form of one of a recess and a protrusion that engages a first cooperating locking member of the grommet in the form of an opposite one of a recess and a protrusion to retain the pin in a first position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members of the grommet are in a laterally unexpanded state;
the pin having a second locking member in the form of a second protrusion that engages a second cooperating locking member in the form of a second recess of the at least two adjacent longitudinally extending leg members to retain the pin in a second position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members of the grommet are in a laterally expanded state;
the pin having a laterally extending driving protrusion, wherein the driving protrusion is designed to be automatically engageable against a periphery of a joining aperture of a joining part during insertion of the pin and grommet into the joining aperture to drive the pin from the first position relative to the grommet to the second position relative to the grommet to lock the pin and grommet to the joining part;
wherein the insertion-locking in and grommet fastener comprises first and second separate, independent components, and wherein the first separate, independent component comprises the in and the second separate, independent component comprises the grommet.

2. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the pin comprises a head having a lateral dimension requiring the pin to be moved in an insertion direction as the in is initially inserted into the central aperture of the grommet and moved into the first position relative to the grommet.

3. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 2 , wherein the second position of the pin relative to the grommet is in a driving direction from the first position that is opposite to the insertion direction.

4. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the pin comprises a laterally extending sealing member that seals the central aperture of the grommet when the pin is in the second position relative to the grommet.

5. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 4 , wherein the laterally extending sealing member is a plurality of laterally extending sealing members sealing against a tubular portion of the central aperture of the grommet.

6. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 4 , wherein the laterally extending sealing member comprises a material that is more resilient than a material of the pin.

7. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 4 , wherein the laterally extending sealing member is a plurality of laterally extending flat umbrella sealing members sealing against a tubular portion of the central aperture of the grommet.

8. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 4 , wherein the laterally extending sealing member is a plurality of laterally extending flat umbrella sealing members sealing against a tubular portion of the central aperture of the grommet and wherein the plurality of laterally extending flat umbrella sealing members comprise a material that is more resilient than a material of the pin.

9. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the pin comprises a service tab at a trailing end for grasping and removal of the pin from the grommet.

10. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the at least two leg members each comprise a knuckle defining an outer surface shaped to cause the at least two leg portions to move toward each other during insertion of the pin and grommet fastener into the joining aperture.

11. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the at least two leg members each comprise a knuckle defining an outer surface shaped to push against a face of the joining part to bias the joining part against a contact surface of the grommet when the pin is in the second position relative to the grommet.

12. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the laterally extending driving protrusion has an aligning surface shaped to engage an edge of the central aperture and move the pin toward an orientation in which the pin is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the central aperture of the grommet.

13. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 12 , wherein the aligning surface has an outwardly convex shape.

14. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the driving protrusion has a lateral dimension that is greater than a corresponding lateral dimension of the longitudinally extending leg members.

15. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the first locking member of the pin is in the form of a recess, and the first cooperating locking member of the grommet is in the form of a protrusion.

16. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 15 , wherein the recess of the pin is partially defined by a cam surface, and the protrusion of the grommet is partially defined by a cooperating cam surface, wherein the cam surface and the cooperating cam surface engage each other to cause the longitudinally extending leg members to move toward the laterally expanded state as the pin moves toward the second position.

17. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 16 , wherein the pin includes a locking surface adjacent the cam surface and the longitudinally extending leg members include a cooperating locking surface adjacent the cooperating cam surface to engage each other and retain the leg members in their laterally expanded state when the pin is in the second position.

18. The insertion-locking pin and grommet fastener of claim 1 , wherein the pin further comprises a head having a lateral dimension requiring the pin to be moved in an insertion direction as the pin is initially inserted into the central aperture of the grommet and moved into the first position relative to the grommet and a service tab extending from the head and forming a trailing end for grasping and removal of the pin from the grommet.

19. An insertion-locking in and grommet fastener comprising:
a grommet defining a central aperture with at least two adjacent longitudinally extending leg members;
a pin having a first locking member in the form of one of a recess and a protrusion that engages a first cooperating locking member of the grommet in the form of an opposite one of a recess and a protrusion to retain the in a first position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members of the grommet are in a laterally unexpanded state;
the pin having a second locking member in the form of a second protrusion that engages a second cooperating locking member in the form of a second recess of the at least two adjacent longitudinally extending leg members to retain the pin in a second position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members of the grommet are in a laterally expanded state;
the pin having a laterally extending driving protrusion, wherein the driving protrusion is designed to be automatically engageable against a periphery of a joining aperture of a joining part during insertion of the in and grommet into the joining aperture to drive the in from the

Assignees

• Newfrey Llc

Inventors

• Jamil Oday Amer
• Wernert Terri Lynn
• Diep Tien The

Classifications

• F16B13/063 Primary

  by the use of an expander · CPC title

• F16B19/1081 Primary

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

• F16B21/073

  the socket having a resilient part on its inside · CPC title

• F16B21/075

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