FASTENERS

Abstract: A fastener comprises a stud-like member (18) having a ribbed portion (20) and a non-ribbed portion (22), and a nut-like member (26) having a projecting portion (28) which is capable of moving along the stud-like member (18) in the non-ribbed portion (22) thereof and is capable of moving across the stud-like member (18) in the ribbed portion (20) thereof.

Description: Fasteners The present invention relates generally to fasteners and is more especially but not exclusively concerned with fasteners for use with push-button switches for fruit machines. It is well known for fruit machines to be provided with controls for operation by players of the fruit machines. Typically, the controls are in the form of push-button switches which can be of different shapes, sizes and colours and, if illuminated, can be fully or partly illuminated. The different push-button switches are similar, however, in providing push-buttons which are reciprocally movable with respect to electrical components carried by push-button switch mountings. Typically, the push-button switches are supported by outside panels of the fruit machines and are connected to internal electrical wiring of the fruit machines. Examples of known push-button switches are to be found in GB-A-2279500 to which the reader is invited to refer. It will be seen that the push-button switches are fastened to the panels by the use of nuts which screw along threads provided by body parts of the push-button switch mountings to sandwich the panels firmly between the nuts and bezel parts of the push-button switch mountings. A particular problem is that, because the panels to which the push-button switches are to be secured come in a large range of different thicknesses, the threads need to be sufficiently long to cope with the thickest of the possible panel thicknesses, and thus the nuts need to be screwed along substantial lengths of the threads when applied to the thinnest of the possible panel thicknesses. Another problem is that it can be awkward to fasten the electrical components to the push-button switch mountings and then fasten the electrical wiring to the electrical components. It would be desirable to simplify and thus avoid time wasted in the assembly procedure. According to the present invention, a fastener comprises a stud-like member having a ribbed portion and a non-ribbed portion, and a nut-like member having a projecting portion which is capable of moving along the stud-like member in the non-ribbed portion thereof and is capable of moving across the stud-like member in the ribbed portion thereof. In use, the nut-like member can be quickly slid along the stud-like member and then turned through, for example, just a quarter turn or 90° in order to secure the fastener. Preferably, the ribbed portion of the stud-like member is in the form of a helically advancing thread but alternatively the ribbed portion of the stud-like member could be in the form of a series of transversely extending serrations. It will be appreciated that a large number of other variations are possible. For example, the stud-like member could be hollow rather than solid, and could have a plurality of circumferentially spaced non-ribbed portions. Moreover, the nut-like member could have a plurality of longitudinally spaced projecting portions and/or a plurality of circumferentially spaced projecting portions. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the stud-like member is formed with an external thread which is continuous apart from at two longitudinally extending grooves, whereas the nut-like member is formed with an internal thread which has all been omitted apart from at two segments complementary to the grooves. Preferably, both the stud-like member and the nut-like member are formed of plastics materials, with the stud-like member optionally being formed as part of a push-button switch mounting, with another part of the push-button switch mounting including a bezel-like member. Preferably, the nut-like member is formed with, or releasably attached to, a support member which holds or carries one or more electrical components. The support member may, in a preferred embodiment, cover a free end of the stud-like member to have the appearance of a top hat, and may hold or carry a microswitch and/or a lamp and/or a diode and/or one or more cable connectors, such as protruding pins or IDC terminals. The support member may include or be releasably fastened to an adaptor part which is formed with the IDC terminals in which event the adaptor part per se forms a separate aspect of the present invention. The fact that the nut-like member is turned through only 90° means that electrical wiring for the one or more electrical components does not become tangled as would happen if the nut-like member and thus the support member were completely rotated. In another arrangement, a nut-like member for securing the fastener may be separate from a nut-like member for carrying the one or more electrical components. In a combination of the above-noted arrangements, the nut-like member for securing the fastener may be associated with a helical thread, whereas the nut-like member for carrying the one or more electrical components may be associated with transverse serrations. The advantages of the use of the support member are in cost reduction and ease of manufacture and assembly particularly when matrixing. Several fasteners, in accordance with the present invention, will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an exploded view of a first fastener, as embodied in a push-button switch mounting for a fruit machine; Figure 2 iε a schematic longitudinal section through a push-button switch incorporating a second fastener; Figure 3 is a perspective view from below of some of the parts, shown separated from one another, of the push¬ button switch of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view from below of some of the parts, shown separated from one another, of a push¬ button switch incorporating a third fastener. In the accompanying Figure 1, a push-button switch is to be secured to a fruit machine by sandwiching a panel 10 of the fruit machine between a bezel member 12 and a box member 14 of the push-button switch. The bezel member 12, which in use would be visible in front of the panel 10, is formed of a plastics material integrally with a locating member 16 and an elongate mounting member 18. The locating member 16 is intended to be of the same size as an aperture 10a in the panel 10. The mounting member 18 is formed with an external thread 20 which is continuous apart from at a pair of diametrically opposed grooves 22. The box member 14, which in use would be hidden behind the panel 10, is formed with a central opening 24 which is larger than the mounting member 18, to allow the box member 14 to be placed over the mounting member 18. An annular fastening nut 26, again formed of a plastics material, has a pair of diametrically opposed segments 28 of thread-like form complementary to that of the thread 20, the circumferential extent of each of the segments 28 being no greater than the circumferential extent of each of the grooves 22. In use, the fastening nut 26 is applied to the mounting member 18 with the segments 28 being aligned with the grooves 22 to allow the segments 28 to be slid along the grooves 22 until the nut 26 is effective to firmly sandwich the panel 10 between the bezel member 12 and the box member 14 whereupon the nut 26 is turned to screw the segments 28 into the thread 20. In alternatives, not illustrated, an end stop could be provided to avoid slippage and/or if only one of the segments 28 is provided the opposed portions of the thread 20 could be of different hand rather than the same hand so that fastening is achieved by turning the nut 26 in either direction after longitudinal moving of the segment 28 along the groove 22. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 , a push-button switch 110 includes a switch mounting 112 which itself includes an annular flange 114, a bezel 116 and a hollow externally threaded cylinder 118. The bezel 116 extends in one direction from the outer periphery of the annular flange 114 to define a recess receiving a push-button 120. The externally threaded cylinder 118 extends in the opposite direction from the inner periphery of the annular flange 114 and, in use, extends through a hole 122 in a panel 124. The switch mounting 112 is fastened to the panel 124 by applying a washer 126 and a nut 128 to the cylinder 118 and then tightening the nut 128 to sandwich the panel 124 between the flange 114 and the washer 126. The external thread of the cylinder 118 covers the external cylindrical face of the cylinder 118 apart from at two longitudinally extending grooves 130 whereas the nut 128 is formed with an internal thread which has all been omitted apart from at two segments 132 complementary to the grooves 130. The nut 128 can therefore be applied quickly to the cylinder 118 as discussed with reference to Figure 1. The push-button 120 is of similar construction to the switch mounting 112 in including an annular flange 134, an outer bezel 136 and an inner cylinder 138. Indeed, the push-button 120 is of conventional construction in that the bezel 136 is covered by a transparent lens cap 140, and the cylinder 138 is formed with a pair of longitudinally extending legs 142. The legs 142 end at respective feet 144, one of which is arranged to depress a button 146 on a microswitch 148 when the push-button 120 is pressed further into the switch mounting 112 against the force of a resilient helical spring 150. The spring 150 acts, as shown, between a lower part of the cylinder 138 and an upper part of a mounting 152. The mounting 152 extends inwardly of the cylinder 118 and is formed with appropriate apertures allowing displacement of the legs 142 when the lens cap 140 is depressed or released. The microswitch 148 is carried by a nut/support member 154 as is a lamp bulb 156 and two lamp terminals 158. The nut/support member 154 can be regarded as being a top hat and is formed with an internal thread which has all been omitted apart from at two segments 160 complementary to the grooves 130 in the cylinder 118 to allow the nut/support member 154 to be applied quickly to the cylinder 118. More particularly, the nut/support member 154 is of cup-like construction with the segments 160 projecting inwardly of a cylindrical side 162 thereof, and with a flat base 164 thereof being formed with a tubular housing 166 having a pair of openings for receiving the lamp terminals 158 as well as with a rectangular housing 168 for receiving the microswitch 148. Each of the lamp terminals 158 has a resilient clip 170 at one end for electrical connection to the lamp bulb 156 and has a blade contact 172 at the other end for electrical connection to external wiring. Similarly, the microswitch 148 has a series of blade contacts 174 for electrical connection in a known manner to external wiring. It will be appreciated that the lamp terminals 158 can be a push fit in the tubular housing 166, that the microswitch 148 can be a push fit in the rectangular housing 168, and that the action of pushing can optionally result in a snap action to resist inadvertent removal of the microswitch 148 and/or the lamp terminals 158. As shown in Figure 3, further openings 176 can be formed in the flat base 164 for use in receiving further terminals if there is to be provision in the electric circuitry of one or more diodes. As shown in Figure 4, however, it is preferred to provide a modified nut/support member 154a which is either formed integrally with, or releasably fastened to, an adaptor part 178 formed with a plurality of IDC connectors 180 - although shown merely schematically as opposed pairs of slots, the IDC connectors 180 would usually include resilient barbs, for resisting inadvertent removal of any cable whose insulation has been removed or displaced to expose its central conducting core by the action of pushing the cable into an opposed pair of the slots, and would also include conductors in appropriate electrical contact with the blade contacts 172 and 174. In use, external wiring is electrically connected to the blade contacts 172 and 174, optionally via the adaptor part 178, before the top hat nut/support member 154 or 154a is applied to the cylinder 118 of the switch mounting 112, thereby greatly facilitating ease of assembly of the push- button switch 110.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A fastener comprising a stud-like member having a ribbed portion and a non-ribbed portion, and a nut-like member having a projecting portion which is capable of moving along the stud-like member in the non-ribbed portion thereof and is capable of moving across the stud-like member in the ribbed portion thereof. 2. A fastener according to claim 1, in which the ribbed portion of the stud-like member is in the form of a helically advancing thread. 3. A fastener according to claim 1, in which the ribbed portion of the stud-like member is in the form of a series of transversely extending serrations. 4. A fastener according to any preceding claim, in which the stud-like member has a plurality of circumferentially spaced non-ribbed portions. 5. A fastener according to claim 2 and claim 4, in which the stud-like member is formed with an external thread which is continuous apart from at two longitudinally extending grooves, whereas the nut-like member is formed with an internal thread which has all been omitted apart from at two segments complementary to the grooves. 6. A fastener according to any preceding claim, in which the stud-like member is formed as part of a push-button switch mounting with another part of the push-button switch mounting including a bezel-like member. 7. A fastener according to any preceding claim, in which the nut-like member is formed with, or releasably attached to, a support member which holds or carries one or more electrical components. 8. A fastener according to claim 6 and claim 7, in which there are two of the nut-like members, one being for use in fastening the push-button switch mounting to a panel and the other being for use in fastening the one or more electrical components to the push-button switch mounting. 9. A fastener according to claim 7 or claim 8, in which the support member holds or carries a microswitch and/or a lamp and/or a diode and/or one or more cable connectors. 10. A fastener according to claim 9, in which the cable connectors are in the form of IDC terminals. 11. A fastener according to claim 10, in which the support member includes or is releasably fastened to an adaptor part which is formed with the IDC terminals. 12. An adaptor part having IDC terminals for providing electrical communication between electrical wiring and electrical components carried by a push-button switch.

Inventors: HOLMES ROBERT ALAN, MARCHINI BARRY ALLEN, HOLMES, ROBERT, ALAN, MARCHINI, BARRY, ALLEN
Applicants: HOLMES ROBERT ALAN, MARCHINI BARRY ALLEN, STARPOINT ELECTRICS LTD, HOLMES, ROBERT, ALAN, MARCHINI, BARRY, ALLEN, STARPOINT ELECTRICS LIMITED
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H02B1
IPC codes: H02B1