Search

CN-122014732-A - Fastening piece

CN122014732ACN 122014732 ACN122014732 ACN 122014732ACN-122014732-A

Abstract

A plastic fastener for coupling a first component to a second component is disclosed. The fastener includes a body portion, a pair of tower legs, and at least one mating feature. The body portion extends along a longitudinal axis and defines a first end and a second end. The pair of tower legs extend from the body portion at a second end, each tower leg being resiliently deflectable relative to the longitudinal axis. The at least one mating feature is positioned on an inwardly facing surface of each tower leg and is configured to engage a corresponding seating portion of a ribbed tower of the second component. The mating feature is configured to facilitate insertion of the ribbed tower between the pair of tower legs and resiliently engage the seating portion to mechanically retain the fastener to the ribbed tower.

Inventors

  • Logan Scott Kyrie Irving
  • David William Edland
  • Jeremy Paul Beres

Assignees

  • 伊利诺斯工具制品有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20251110
Priority Date
20251107

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A fastener for coupling a first component and a second component, the fastener comprising: A body portion extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a first end and a second end; A pair of tower legs extending from the body portion at the second end, each tower leg being resiliently deflectable relative to the longitudinal axis, and At least one mating feature positioned on an inwardly facing surface of each tower leg and configured to engage a corresponding seating portion of a ribbed tower of the second component, Wherein the mating feature is configured to facilitate insertion of the ribbed tower between the pair of tower legs and resiliently engage the seating portion to mechanically retain the fastener to the ribbed tower.
  2. 2. The fastener of claim 1, wherein each mating feature comprises a generally wedge-shaped protrusion having an angled front surface configured to guide the ribbed tower during insertion.
  3. 3. The fastener of claim 2, wherein the generally wedge-shaped protrusion further defines a rear surface configured to engage an edge of the seating portion to resist extraction.
  4. 4. The fastener of claim 1, further comprising at least one locking tab disposed on an outward facing surface of each tower leg.
  5. 5. The fastener of claim 4, wherein each locking tab is configured to engage an edge of an opening formed in the first component when the fastener is installed through the opening.
  6. 6. The fastener of claim 4, wherein each locking tab extends outwardly from the tower leg in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and is configured to deflect inwardly during insertion.
  7. 7. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the tower legs are coupled by a bridge at the second end of the body portion, the bridge providing structural support and resilience during insertion.
  8. 8. The fastener of claim 7, wherein the bridge is sized to enhance flexibility of the tower leg while preventing breakage during repeated insertion and removal cycles.
  9. 9. The fastener of claim 1, further comprising a head portion connected to the body portion at the first end, the head portion comprising a plurality of cantilevers joined by a connecting element.
  10. 10. The fastener of claim 9, wherein the connecting element includes wing features extending outwardly from the longitudinal axis to provide a manual engagement surface.
  11. 11. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the tower leg and the mating feature are integrally formed as a single molded unit.
  12. 12. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the fastener is formed of a polymeric material.
  13. 13. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the mating feature and the locking tab are positioned on opposite sides of each tower leg.
  14. 14. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tower legs are offset towards each other to provide a self-centring action during engagement with the ribbed tower.
  15. 15. The fastener of claim 1, wherein a rear surface of each mating feature is oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the fastener is in an installed position.
  16. 16. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the mating feature and the locking tab cooperate to simultaneously secure the fastener to the ribbed tower of the second component and the first component.
  17. 17. The fastener of claim 16, wherein engagement of the mating feature with the seating portion inhibits forward extraction of the fastener from the ribbed tower, and engagement of the locking tab with the first member inhibits rearward extraction of the fastener from the opening.
  18. 18. A fastener assembly, comprising: A fastener, the fastener comprising: a body portion extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a first end and a second end, A pair of tower legs extending from the body portion at the second end, each tower leg being resiliently deflectable relative to the longitudinal axis, and At least one mating feature positioned on an inwardly facing surface of each tower leg and configured to engage a corresponding seating portion of a ribbed tower of the second component; A ribbed tower forming a portion of the second component, the ribbed tower including a seating portion configured to receive a mating feature of the fastener, and A first member defining an opening configured to receive the fastener and engage the locking tab, Wherein the fastener is configured to mechanically couple the first and second components together by engagement of the mating feature with the ribbed tower and engagement of the locking tab with the first component.
  19. 19. The fastener assembly of claim 18, wherein the fastener is formed of a synthetic or semi-synthetic polymer.
  20. 20. A plastic fastener for coupling a first component and a second component, the plastic fastener comprising: A body portion extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a first end and a second end; A pair of tower legs extending from the body portion at the second end, each tower leg being resiliently deflectable relative to the longitudinal axis, and At least one mating feature positioned on an inwardly facing surface of each tower leg and configured to engage a corresponding seating portion of a ribbed tower of the second component, Wherein the mating feature is configured to facilitate insertion of the ribbed tower between the pair of tower legs and resiliently engage the seating portion to mechanically retain the plastic fastener to the rib.

Description

Fastening piece RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/719,191, entitled "Riblok device for metals [ Riblok for Metal ]" filed on 11/12 of 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Automotive parts require simple fastening techniques for manufacture and assembly. Further, the fastening technique should be reliable and efficient in the first place. To secure the secondary panel to the primary panel, fasteners such as pin and grommet fasteners may be used. Various types of fasteners are used to fasten components. For example, in the case of an instrument panel of a vehicle, fasteners may be used to secure adjacent panels together or to secure one or more objects to the panels. One such type of fastener may be used with different types, sizes, and shapes of holes provided in the components to be secured together. In other words, for such fasteners fastening components, at least one of the components is provided with a hole. One of these components is mounted on the fastener while the other component, having an aperture, receives the fastener component assembly. Thus, despite the various advances made so far, it would be desirable to provide, for example, a plastic fastener that can be used with metal. Disclosure of Invention The present disclosure relates generally to a fastening system for forming a blind connection between panels, such as automotive panels, as set forth more fully in the claims, substantially as shown and described with respect to at least one of the figures. Drawings The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the devices, systems and methods described herein will be apparent from the following description of particular examples as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like or similar reference characters refer to the same or similar structures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the devices, systems and methods described herein. Fig. 1 illustrates an assembled isometric view of a fastening system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 2a to 2c show side views of the fastening system at different assembly stages. Fig. 2d shows a side cross-sectional view of the fastening system in an assembled position, taken along section line A-A as shown in fig. 1. Fig. 3 a-3 c show top side, first bottom side and second bottom side isometric views, respectively, of a fastener. Fig. 3d shows a side elevation view of the fastener. Fig. 3e and 3f show front and rear elevation views of the fastener. Fig. 3g and 3h show top and bottom views, respectively, of the fastener. Fig. 4a and 4B show isometric cross-sectional views of the fastener taken along section lines B-B and C-C as shown in fig. 3e and 3g, respectively. Fig. 4C shows a cross-sectional top view of the fastener taken along section line C-C as shown in fig. 3 e. Fig. 4D shows a cross-sectional front elevation view of the fastener taken along section line D-D as shown in fig. 3 g. Detailed Description Reference to an item in the singular is to be construed to include the plural item and vice versa unless explicitly stated otherwise or clear from the context. Grammatical conjunctions are configured to express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive combinations of contiguous clauses, sentences, words, and the like, unless otherwise specified or clear from context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, unless otherwise indicated herein, but rather, are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to any and all values falling within the range and/or including the range, and each separate value falling within the range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. In the following description, it is to be understood that terms such as "first," "second," "top," "bottom," "side," "front," "rear," and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms. For example, although in some examples the first side is located adjacent or near the second side, the terms "first side" and "second side" do not imply any particular order in which the sides are ordered. When accompanied by a numerical value, the terms "about," "approximately," "substantially," and the like should be construed as indicating the deviation allowed for satisfactory operation for the intended purpose as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The values and/or ranges of values are provided herein by way of example only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosed examples and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure. The terms "such as, (e.g."