SCREW LOCK

Abstract: Locking means intended to be anchored in an element and to receive rotatably by snap-in closure a second means provid­ ed with an undercut head. The locking means according to the invention consists of a substantially cylindrical body (1) having a first and a second end. Outwardly directed gripping means (2; 13, 14) are arranged in the peripheral area of the body at its first end. The body (1) has an coaxially arranged cavity (3) narrowing off which at its narrow portion continues in an opening (4) ending coaxially in the first end and which cavity (3) ends at the second end of the body (1) and is pro­ vided there with an inwardly directed flange means (5, 19). The body (1) is further expansible at said first end.

Description: This invention relates to a locking means in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. In many cases, for instance when mounting door-frames and window-frames, it is desirable, even necessary, to be able to adjust the door-frame(-frames) in relation to the wall which usually is not level and exactly vertical. Various methods for mounting of door-frames exist, the most usual one using screws or nails as well as wedges. In this case it is very difficult to adjust the door-frame afterwards. In order to simplify after-adjustment when for instance mounting door-frames different forms of sleeves with fixed or loose screws are therefore used. Specially made adjusting screws also occur. Common to mounting methods so far known is that they re­ quire special measures in addition to preboring and counter­ boring for the mounting screw. In certain cases special screws are required. A solution of the problem is treated in SE-B-447 500 showing a screw lock which is screwed home in usual manner together with the screw after the required and stan­ dardized preboring with countersinking. No special tools or special measures more than the adaptation of the screw lock onto the screw are required. However, it has been found that this screw lock requires great costs of investment in machines for manufacture due to its relatively complicated form and due to the fact that it must be made of metal, and therefore the price per unit will be relatively great. Moreover, this screw lock can only be used in countersunk boreholes, especially in wood and particle board. Also DE-A-171 209 which is seen here as representing the State of the Art as well as WO 87/1756 are dealing with locking means for adjustably securing two elements in relation to one another by means of a screw. However both of these locking means are provided with external bulges to grip around a narrow profile of the hole. To mount these locking means in the hole of the profile, there must be no screw provided in the locking means, as the external bulges have to contract into the locking means when penetrating the hole to snap around the profile. As the locking means are quite small and the "snapping" force could be great, the mounting of these locking means could be difficult and time-consuming. The present invention enables the use of cheap material such as plastic for manufacture of the locking means and the invention can also be used with small changes together with profiles of plate or PVC. Nor is the locking means according to the invention restricted for use only together with screws but can also be attachment of for example pins provided with heads coacting with similar locking means fixed in other structural elements which is useful, for example, when mount­ ing furniture. This is possible thanks to the fact that the invention has been given the characteristic features defined in the claims. The invention will be described in greater detail in the form of a number of examples with reference to the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 shows a locking means in accordance with the invention as seen in lateral section, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the invention and Fig. 3 shows the invention as seen from below. Figs. 4 and 5 show a prebored hole in a building element as well as the mounting and fixing of the locking means therein and Fig. 6 shows another mounting possibility in this hole. Fig. 7 is a section of another embodiment of the invention intended for fixing in a plate or PVC-profile. Figs. 8 and 9 as well as 10 and 11 , respectively, show further embodiments of locking means according to the invention, the latter being suitable for use together with the locking means shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 12 shows another embodiment of the invention. The locking means according to the invention consists of a substantially cylindrical body 1 having outwardly directed gripping means at a first end which according to Fig. 1 are made of a number of peripheral, outwardly directed ridges 2 formed with pointed tops. The body 1 is further provided with a cavity 3 extending coaxially through the body. This cavity is tapering off towards a first end of the body which presents the gripping means 2 and ends with an opening 4 and an inwardly directed shoulder 4′ at this end. The cavity 3 ends in the other end of the body and has there a flange 5. In order to be able to expand elastically, which will be described later, the body is further provided with a number of axial, first slits 6 which are open at the first end and the bottoms of which are spaced from the other end of the body. Moreover, coaxial second slits 7 are arranged which end in the other end of the body and the bottoms of which are spaced from the first end of the body. In order to make it easier to understand the invention examples of the mounting and use of the invention are de­ scribed in connection with Figs. 4-6. Thus, Fig. 4 shows a hole 8 prebored in a building element and provided with a shoulder. The body 1 of the invention is brought down in order to reach the bottom of the shoulder of the hole 8. For in­ stance a wood screw 23 is thereafter brought through the cavity of the body and, due to the fact that the diameter of the screw is larger than the opening 4 of the cavity 3, it will force the inner portion with the gripping means 2 out­ wards pressing the gripping means into the material surround­ ing the hole 8. The screw is forced so far down into the body 1 that the flanges 5 flip over the upper side of the screw head. This is possible as the conical inside of the screw head will first press apart the flanges. Thus, in the position shown in Fig. 5 the flanges will have the effect that if the screw is for instance screwed out of a second building element 9, the element with the hole 8 will be moved together with the screw head. Since the cavity 3 is undercut at 10 immediately inside the flange 5, as is apparent from for instance Fig. 1, the element with the hole 8 will also accompany the inward motion of the screw head when the screw is screwed into the second element 9. According to Fig. 6 the body 1 has been in­ troduced into the hole 8 and a cylindrical element 11 having a central hole which is somewhat greater than the diameter of the screw 23 has thereafter been pressed into the cavity of the body. When the cylindrical element 11 reaches the bottom of the cavity 3 it has also pressed out the gripping means 2 in the material surrounding the hole 8. Thus, using the cy­ lindrical element or the ring 11 it is possible to fix the body 1 in advance in the prebored hole 8. This may be suitable in prefabrication of various structural elements such as fur­ niture components. It is to be understood that the cylindrical element 11 has obliquely beveled end surfaces and is introduc­ ed into the wider opening of the cavity 3. Fig. 7 shows a body 1 in accordance with the invention which corresponds substantially to the body described except that the gripping means have been given another form. Thus, the first end of the body 1 is provided with a first flange 13 and a second flange 14 which form between themselves a recess 15 extending around the body. The first flange 13 connects in a tapering way to the first end of the body 1 in the form of a guide surface 13′ and the second flange 14 has a larger dia­ meter than the flange 13. In this case the body 1 is put in a hole or opening 16 of a profile 17 (only a portion is shown) in such a way that the flange 13 is brought down through the hole 16, the axial position of the body 1 automatically being reached when the flange 14 prevents further motion of the body. By introducing a screw into the cavity 3 of the body 1 or a cylindrical element or ring 11 (not shown), as previously described, the gripping means are forced away from each other, i.e. the first and the second flange engage the profile 17 and will consequently lock the body 1 to this. By forming the inside 5′ of the flange 5 somewhat conic­ al or inclined inwards and towards the second end of the body 1 the engagement of the screw head can be made entirely with­ out play. Fig. 8 shows an example of another embodiment of the locking body 1 according to the invention. The opening 4 of the cavity 3 has here been formed substantially wider and a cylindrical element 18 is placed in the wider portion of the cavity. Moreover, a flange is arranged in the form of a se­ parate spring element 19. This can have the form of a spring plate with inwardly directed tongues of for instance slightly different length, continuously from a shortest tongue 19′ to a longest tongue 19″. In order to be able to receive the spring element 19 in the starting position the cylindrical element 18 is recessed at the end located most closely to the spring ele­ ment. As is apparent from Fig. 9 the body 1 is placed in a hole reaching the bottom of a structural element after which the cylindrical element 18 is forced down into the body, mov­ ing the gripping means 2 apart in this way and pressing these into the material surrounding the hole. This built-in body 1 can for instance consist of the female portion for a male por­ tion shown in Figs. 10 and 11 which portions may be suitable for example for mounting of furniture. Due to its application field and in order to retain the spring element 19 safely which engages the material of the body 1 with its folded edge 20 (see Fig. 9) the body is not provided in this case with any other slits starting from the second end of the body. The male portion shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is basically formed in the same way as previously described but the second end of the body 1 has been provided with a head 21 having a hole. More­ over, the cylindrical element 18 has been provided with a shank 22 extending through the hole of the head 21 and the end of which extends outside the head 21. Also here the body 1 is placed in a hole reaching the bottom in a building element. Thereafter the cylindrical element 18 is drived downwardly and forces apart the gripping means 2, the shank 22 simultaneously disappearing in the head 21. The procedure will appear clearly from Fig. 11 showing the mounted body. Thus, this male portion can be snapped with the head 21 into the female portion de­ scribed in connection with Figs. 8 and 9 and a hidden joint is obtained. It is shown in Fig. 12 how the central bore of the cy­ lindrical element 11 has been provided with threads 24 with which the threads of a screw are intended to coact, i.e. it is possible in this embodiment to use the locking means directly as the attachment of a screw. The element 11 is preferably formed with ledges for engagement below the flange 5 of the body 1 preventing axial motion of the element 11 in the body. Also in this case the body 1 is lacking the second slits starting from the end provided with a flange. Also in this case the central bore of the element 11 can be made flat, the screw being intended to thread itself through the bore. When using for example the invention in profiles with slits instead of holes the body 1 can of course have a form deviating from a circular section, for instance at least a square form in connection with the gripping means.

Claims: 1. Locking means intended to be anchored in a bore of an element and to receive rotatably by snap-in closure a second means provided with an undercut head, and consisting of a substantially cylindrical body (1) having a first and a second end, outwardly directed gripping means (2; 13, 14) being arranged in the peripheral area of said body at its first end, said body (1) having a coaxially arranged cavity (3) that narrows off and continues at its narrow portion in an opening (4) ending coaxially in the first end and said cavity (3) ending at the second end of the body (1) and having there an inwardly directed flange means (5, 19), characterized in that the body (1) when anchored in the bore is expanded at said first end under the influence of a permanent radial outwardly directed force. 2. Locking means according to claim 1, characterized in that a cylindrical element (11, 18) having an outside diameter substantially equal to the larger diameter of the cavity (3) is arranged to be moved axially in the cavity (3) towards its narrow portion. 3. Locking means according to claim 2, char­ acterized in that the cylindrical element (11) has a coaxial bore. 4. Locking means according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the cavity (3) continues in the opening (4) ending in the first end via an inwardly directed shoulder (4′). 5. Locking means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (1) has a number of axial first slits (6) open in the first end, the bottoms of which are spaced from the second end of the body (1). 6. Locking means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body has a number of axial second slits (7) open in the second end, the bottoms of which are spaced from the first end of the body (1). 7. Locking means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axially inner edge (5′) of the flange means (5) is inclined obliquely inwards and towards the second end of the body (1). 8. Locking means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flange means (5) is integral with the body. 9. Locking means according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the flange means (19) is formed as a separate portion of spring steel. 10. Locking means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping means consist of peripheral, outwardly directed ridges (2) formed with pointed tops. 11. Locking means according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the gripping means consist of a first (13) and a second (14) flange running peripherally and forming between themselves a recess (15) running around the body. 12. Locking means according to claim 11, char­ acterized in that the first flange (13) located next to the first end has an obiquely beveled guide surface (13′) connecting to the first end. 13. Locking means according to claim 12, char­ acterized in that the second flange (14) has a larger diameter than the first flange (13).

Inventors: FRIES, BERIT, FRIES, BROR
Applicants: FRIES, BERIT, FRIES, BROR
Application year: 1988
Main classification: F16B41
IPC codes: F16B5, E06B1, F16B37, F16B41