Patent ID: 6715185
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
An assembly for securing a primary panel to a secondary panel comprising:a doghouse; and a panel fastener comprising a head comprising an upper plate and a lower plate, the upper and lower plates being connected and maintained apart from one another in a generally parallel relationship by a post that is constructed and arranged to be received and retained in a slot formed in a bottom surface of the doghouse that extends from an undersurface of the primary panel, the upper plate including a flexible portion; a shank extending from the lower plate away from the upper plate, the shank having a retaining structure for retaining the shank of the panel fastener in a bore formed in the secondary panel where the shank of the panel fastener is inserted in the bore in the secondary panel; and, a detent that extends from an undersurface of the flexible portion of the upper plate in the direction of the lower plate of the head, such that the flexible portion of the upper plate is deflected upwardly away from the lower plate as the post is slidingly inserted into the slot of the doghouse in a first direction, and such that upon continued movement of the post in the first direction, the detent is constructed and arranged to engage the bottom surface of the doghouse when the post is received in the slot formed in the doghouse, the detent maintaining a predetermined alignment of the panel fastener with respect to the doghouse.