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

Claim 10:
11. An assembly comprising:
an article having an opening;
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 spring element provided along the shaft between the cantilevered snap element and the planar head portion, the spring element having a profiled edge arranged toward an end of the spring element; and

a fastener body fitted into the opening of the article, the 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, the plurality of elongated portions being independently movable relative to each other and relative to the central opening,

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 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 profiled edge of the spring element is configured to retain the fastener pin within the fastener body.