Retaining prong

The disclosed invention is a plastic fastening device which can be easily manipulated into engagement with an apertured panel. The device includes a fastening means extending perpendicular from one side of a base. The fastening means has a generally hook-shaped configuration characterized by a trunk portion, a curved transition portion and a tip portion. The fastening device has a generally elongated stem which is used as a lever arm to move the fastening means from a skewed, partially engaged position with respect to the panel to a final fully engaged position.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to retaining and support devices which are mounted to 
apertured panels. More particularly, the invention relates to resilient 
plastic devices which are manipulated into engagement with apertured 
panels of varying thicknesses and aperture sizes. 
Retaining and support devices of the prior art generally require complex 
manipulation in order to be installed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 
3,015,869 shows a hook-like stud which must be maneuvered into position by 
two dimensional translation as well as rotation of the fastener to allow a 
portion of the stud to engage the back side of the panel into which it is 
installed. Other devices such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,542,753 
and 4,103,854 are examples of prior art devices which require complex 
manipulation to be installed. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel one-piece 
plastic fastener which can be easily installed in an apertured panel by 
simple manipulation. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener which is securely 
held in assembled relationship to panels having different thicknesses and 
aperture sizes. 
Still another object is to provide an easily installed fastener which is 
adapted to retain or support various articles in a spaced relationship 
with an apertured panel. 
A device embodying the present invention comprises a fastener means 
extending from one side of a base member. The fastener means is connected 
to the base by a trunk portion having a notch formed thereon. A resilient 
curved transition portion interconnects the trunk portion to a tip 
portion. The notch on the trunk portion has a V-shaped configuration. One 
of the surfaces of the V-shaped notch engages the side of an aperture in a 
panel when the fastener is in a skewed partially engaged position. An 
elongated stem of secondary fastener means extends from the other side of 
the base and is used as a lever arm to move the fastener means from the 
skewed position to a final fully engaged position. In the final position, 
a notch formed in the tip portion engages the opposite side of the 
aperture and retains the fastener in assembled relationship to a panel. 
The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the 
following description and accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now more specifically to the drawing wherein like parts are 
designated by the same numerals through the various figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 
show a fastener 10 made of resilient molded plastic which is firm yet 
flexible such as natural nylon or similar material. The fastener 10 
includes a fastener means 20 extending from one side 32 of a base 30 and 
the stem 40 of a second fastener means (not shown) extending from the 
opposite side 34. 
The fastener means 20 has a generally hook-shaped configuration which 
extends from a rigid trunk 22. One end of the trunk 22 is secured to side 
32 of base 30. A flexible curved transition portion 24 interconnects trunk 
22 to tip portion 26. Tip portion 26 is in a spaced relationship to said 
trunk 22 and that relationship defines a slot 28. The slot is generally at 
an acute angle to axis 12 of the fastener, the axis 12 being perpendicular 
to the base 30. 
Preferrably the fastener has a collar 18 adjacent the base 30, shaped to 
match the aperture into which the fastener is inserted. The collar 18 
helps to resist forces applied to the fastener in any direction parallel 
to the plane of the panel. 
The trunk 22 includes a V-shaped notch 50 with a first surface 52 farther 
from the base 30 than a second surface 54. The first surface 52 of the 
notch is generally parallel to the slot 28. 
The tip portion 26 also includes a notch 60 with a latching surface 62 and 
a second surface 64. Latching surface 62 extends at an acute angle 
relative to axis 12 on the side opposite to the acute angle between first 
surface 52 of V-shaped notch 50 and axis 12. 
FIG. 3 shows the fastener 10 in skewed partially engaged position with 
respect to a panel 70. In the skewed position the maximum transverse 
dimension d of the fastener means 20, measured in a plane parallel to the 
panel 70, is less than or equal to the size of the aperture 71. This 
allows the fastener to be easily inserted into the aperture 71 by a simple 
one dimensional movement of the fastener in a direction perpendicular to 
the panel. The first surface 52 of the notch 50 engages against the inner 
surface 72 of the aperture 71 in the panel 70. The fastener 10 is moved 
from the skewed position by using the stem 40 as a lever arm. During this 
movement, the tip portion 26 is resiliently deflected toward the trunk 
portion 22 as seen in FIG. 4. 
FIG. 5 shows the fastener in its final fully engaged position. In this 
position, the maximum transverse dimension d' of the fastener means 20 
measured in a plane parallel to the panel 70 is greater than the size of 
the aperture 71 to provide for locking engagement of the fastener with the 
panel. When the fastener is moved into final position, the resiliency of 
the curved portion 24 causes the tip portion 26 to spread away from the 
trunk 22 allowing the notches 50 and 60 to resiliently engage opposite 
sides of the aperture 72. 
As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, fastener 10 is adapted to be inserted in a 
round or partially rounded aperture. The resilient curved portion 24 is 
rounded across the width dimension (FIG. 1) and across the depth dimension 
(FIG. 2). The first surfaces 52 and 62 of the notches 50 and 60, 
respectively, form portions of an imaginary cone in alignment with axis 12 
so that in a fully engaged position, the surface 52 and latching surface 
62 will conform to a round or partially round aperture. The spreading 
resilience of the tip portion 26 together with the conical notch surfaces 
52 and 62 make the fastener usable in panels of varying thicknesses. 
It is significant in this embodiment that the slot 28 is oriented at an 
angle with respect to the axis 12. The angled relationship allows the 
fastener to be installed in panels having a variety of both thickness and 
aperture size. As the tip portion 26 deflects, the notch 60 travels along 
an arcuate path. The intersection of the first and second surfaces 62 and 
64 likewise travels an arcuate path. The range of aperture sizes and 
thicknesses capable of retaining the fastener 10 corresponds to the locus 
of points along the path travelled by the intersection of the first and 
second surfaces 62 and 64. The angled orientation of the slot provides a 
greater range of capability. 
In the above description the stem 40 of a fastener means is used as a lever 
arm to deflect the tip portion 26 and to move the fastener into engagement 
with a panel. 
It is obvious that many structural details of the present invention may be 
changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims 
.