Patent ID: 11933347
Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  B | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A rivet-type fastener comprising:
a fastener pin having:
a planar head portion;
a shaft longitudinally extending along an axis of the shaft from the planar head portion;
a cantilevered snap element provided along the shaft toward a distal end of the shaft that is opposite the planar head portion, a portion of the cantilevered snap element being flexibly moveable with respect to the axis of the shaft; and
a cantilevered spring element provided along the shaft between the cantilevered snap element and the planar head portion; and

a fastener body having:
a collared portion having a central opening centered about a central axis of the collared portion, the central opening having a cross-sectional diameter that is less than a cross-sectional diameter of the cantilevered snap element; and
a plurality of elongated portions extending orthogonally from the collared portion and positioned radially about the central axis and about edges of the central opening such that at least one elongated space is defined between two adjacent elongated portions of the plurality of elongated portions that extends from the collared portion and through an end of the fastener body that is opposite the collared portion,

wherein the shaft of the fastener pin has a shaft opening longitudinally extending along the axis of the shaft from the distal end of the shaft toward the planar head portion and past at least a portion of the cantilevered snap element,
wherein the fastener body receives the fastener pin through the central opening, and, as the cantilevered snap element passes through the central opening, the fastener body causes the cantilevered snap element to flexibly deform from an original configuration and move towards the axis of the shaft, and
wherein, when the fastener pin is completely inserted into the fastener body, the cantilevered spring element engages with inner edges of the central opening such that the fastener pin is retained within the fastener body.