Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4506419?dq=5311516
Timestamp: 2014-12-26 21:02:16
Document Index: 88716388

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'arts 4']

Patent US4506419 - Part-fixing clip - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA clip comprises a male member and a female socket both molded of plastics. The male member is adapted to be detachably fastened to a substrate such as a panel of an automobile body and the female socket is adapted to accommodate the male member rotatably therein and to be fastened to a part such as...http://www.google.com/patents/US4506419?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US4506419 - Part-fixing clipAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS4506419 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 06/515,719Publication dateMar 26, 1985Filing dateJul 20, 1983Priority dateAug 20, 1982Fee statusLapsedPublication number06515719, 515719, US 4506419 A, US 4506419A, US-A-4506419, US4506419 A, US4506419AInventorsSeiji MitomiOriginal AssigneeNifco Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (12), Referenced by (58), Classifications (16), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetPart-fixing clipUS 4506419 AAbstract A clip comprises a male member and a female socket both molded of plastics. The male member is adapted to be detachably fastened to a substrate such as a panel of an automobile body and the female socket is adapted to accommodate the male member rotatably therein and to be fastened to a part such as a radiator grille. Union of the substrate and the part accomplished by the use of this clip can be easily broken by causing the male member to be rotated relative to the female socket with a tool such as a screw driver.
What is claimed is: 1. A part-fixing clip capable of providing detachable union of a substrate and a part which has rectangular holes or predetermined dimensions bored one each in advance therein, which clip comprises a male member and a female socket both molded of plastics, said male member being provided with a shank, a flange disposed at the front end of said shank, an engaging head extended from the front end of said flange and adapted to be passed through the rectangular hole in said substrate and engaged with a pair of longer edges of the rectangular hole in said substrate in a straddling state, and an operating part disposed at the opposite rear end of said shank, said female socket being provided with a frame part accommodating said shank flange rotatably with some clearance therebetween and permitting said engaging head to be projected out of the font side thereof and having an opening, and a barrel projected from the bottom of said frame part to surround said opening and adapted to rotatably retain therein, said shank and said operating part on a non-returnable fashion, the inside of said barrel part having a resilient shape permitting said operating part retained therein to produce rotary and translational motion in one direction while precluding axial movement relative to said barrel, the outside of said barrel part having a shape substantially conforming to the predetermined dimensions of said rectangular hole in said part, and the outer periphery of said barrel part being provided with engaging parts for engagement with said part, said engaging head of said male member being capable of being disengaged from said pair of longer edges of the rectangular hole in said substrate by rotating said male member relative to said female socket having said part engaged therewith by resilient distortion of said female socket without disengagement of said socket from said part.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a part-fixing clip adapted to be interposed between two objects and used to fasten them separably to each other, and more particularly to improvements in and concerning the clip to be used for separably fastening any of various parts such as a radiator grille or a side flasher lamp cover to the body panel of an automobile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is the outcome of an effort directed to overcoming the unfavorable state of affairs described above. An object of this invention is to provide a partfixing clip which enables a part such as a radiator grille to be readily fastened to a substrate such as an automobile body and which permits the fastened part to be removed from the substrate when necessary.
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical clip of this invention in an exploded state.
FIG. 7 is a partially sectioned side view of the same clip, with the male member thereof turned by 90� from the position thereof shown in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS This invention relates to a clip which enables a part such as a radiator grille to be fastened to a substrate such as a panel of an automobile body in such a manner as to permit the part, when necessary, to be readily separated from the substrate. In the drawings, P stands for a substrate such as a panel of an automobile, G for a part such as a radiator grille, and A and B respectively for a male member and a female socket which are separately molded of plastics and which make up the clip of the present invention. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-7, the male member A integrally comprises a shank 1, a circular flange 2 expanded radially from the periphery of a front end of the shank, an engaging head 3 projected forwardly from the flange 2, and an operating part 4 having a polygonal shape, a square in the present embodiment, and disposed as expanded from the periphery of the rear end of the shank. Although the shape of the cross section of the shank 1 is not a critical element, the shank in this embodiment is illustrated as having a circular cross section. The female socket B comprises a frame member for accommodating the flange 2 of the male member rotatably with some clearance therebetween and a barrel member 6 projected rearwardly from the rear side of the frame member and adapted to pass the operating part 4 of the shank 1 therethrough. The barrel member has a rectangular cross section defined by major sides 6a amply greater than one side of the square operating part 4 and minor sides 6b only somewhat greater than the aforementioned side. At its front end, the barrel member opens in the bottom 5' of the frame member. In each of the major sides 6a of the barrel member, a tongue piece 7 having the free end thereof directed toward the front end is formed by insertion of a cut 7' of the shape of three sides of a square. Each of the tongue pieces 7 has formed on the outer side thereof a protuberance of a triangular cross section. This protuberance and the rear side of the frame member 5 defines an engaging part 8 serving to take hold of the radiator grille G. On its inner side, the barrel member is provided with a retaining part 9 which is formed of an inclined cam surface which the operating part 4 rides on and slides past and a contact surface which is formed behind the cam surface and is destined to come into contact with the front side of the operating part. In each of the minor sides 6b of the barrel member, a cut groove 10 is formed halfway from the rear end toward the front end.
Thus, in the substrate P there is formed in advance a horizontally oblong hole 12 of a size such that the upper and lower edges of the oblong hole will cause the anchor legs 11', while these legs are being forced in as held in a vertical direction, to be bent down toward the central shank 11, and take firm hold of the rear ends of the anchor legs while the legs are on the verge of substantially completing their passage through the hole and are in the process of bouncing back to their original shape after the frame member 5 or the front side of the flange 2 has collided against the front side of the substrate (FIG. 3) and the two lateral edges of the oblong hole will clearly separate from the anchor legs when these legs are turned until horizontal by the rotation of the clip by 90�. In the radiator grille G, a similarly oblong rectangular hole 13 matched to the profile of the barrel member 6 is bored at a position corresponding to the position of the hole 12. In order that the clip may be easily rotated by 90� from the position in which the anchor legs are held in fast engagement with the upper and lower edges of the oblong hole 12, the anchor legs are desired to be disposed in such a manner that one of them will rise aslant backwardly from the righthand or lefthand half of the leading end of the central shank and the other will fall aslant backwardly from the remaining half of the leading end.
Desired separation of the radiator grille from the automobile panel is accomplished by rotating the male members 90� clockwise or counterclockwise by manipulation of the operating part 4 thereby aligning the engaging heads with the holes 12 of the panel. Consequently, the operating members are enabled to rotate while temporarily pushing open outwardly the rear parts of the barrel members 6 by virtue of the cut grooves 10 as illustrated in FIG. 6. These operating parts, once so rotated, do not return to their original positions. Thus, there is no possibility that the engaging heads already aligned to the holes 12 will spontaneously return to their former positions while the male members of the other clips are being rotated. When the union of the radiator grille and the panel is effected by the use of a plurality of clips, therefore, the separation of the radiator grille from the panel can be successfully performed by just one worker. The subsequent replacement of the separated radiator grille to the panel may be effected by first causing the engaging heads aligned to the holes in the panel to be inserted into the holes 12 and subsequently rotating the inserted engaging heads 90� or by first rotating the engaging heads 90� and subsequently inserting the rotated engaging heads into the holes.
The engaging head 3 is provided on the front side of the flange 2 with a neck 14 and further on the front side of the neck with a front end plate 15. The neck 14 has a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the panel of the automobile and an area of the shape of a regular polygon, specifically a square in the present embodiment. The front end plate 15 is substantially identical in size and shape with the neck 14 and is disposed coaxially with and askew relative to the neck 14. In the present embodiment, since the neck and the front end plate are both square in area, they cross each other at an angle of 45�.
The holes to be bored in advance in the panel of the automobile body are in the shape of squares slightly larger than the squares of the necks and the front end plates. The front end plates 14 of the engaging heads are fitted into the holes 12 and then the male members are rotated by 45� by the manipulation of the operating parts 4. Consequently, the necks 14 are completely admitted into the holes 12 and the corners 14' of the front end plates held askew relative to the necks pinch the edges of the holes 12 between themselves and the frame members 5 or the front sides of the flanges 2, establishing union between the radiator grille and the automobile panel. Desired separation of the radiator grille from the panel is effected simply by again rotating the male members 45�.
The neck 14 is given a thickness slightly smaller than the thickness of the panel of the automobile body and the corners 15' of the front end plate are slanted on the rear side of the plate. When the front end plate is set in position inside the hole 12 and then rotated by 45�, therefore, the neck 14 is allowed to enter the hole smoothly by the slanted corners 15' serving as a guide. Thus, the rear sides of the corners of the front end plate are desired to be such that even where there occurs slight variation in the thickness of the automobile panel, the corners will fasten the edges of the hole 12 effectively against the frame member of the front side of the flange.
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Raymond Et CieVorrichtung zum Befestigen eines Kabelbandes an einem Tr�gerteilDE102012215263A1 *Aug 28, 2012Mar 6, 2014BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausger�te GmbHGarger�tEP0242486A1 *Apr 18, 1986Oct 28, 1987Regie Nationale Des Usines RenaultFastening deviceEP0838599A2 *Sep 22, 1997Apr 29, 1998Irausa Ingenieria, S.A.device for fast panel fixing and removalEP0908344A2 *Oct 1, 1998Apr 14, 1999Adam Opel AgElastic support of a heat exchanger for a combustion engiene, especially in a motor vehicleEP1111250A2Nov 4, 2000Jun 27, 2001Illinois Tool Works Inc.Screw grommet assemblyEP1898105A2 *Jun 21, 2007Mar 12, 2008B�llhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbHQuick locking device for connecting two componentsWO1989007719A1 *Feb 15, 1989Aug 24, 1989Rexnord Holdings IncPush button type fastener releasable by rotation* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification24/297, 411/182, 24/289, 24/292, 24/581.1, 411/508International ClassificationF16B21/08, F16B19/00, F16B21/02, F16B21/04, F16B5/06Cooperative ClassificationF16B21/082, F16B2005/0671, F16B21/02European ClassificationF16B21/08E, F16B21/02Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJun 15, 1993FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 19930328Mar 28, 1993LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesOct 28, 1992REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedJun 23, 1988FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jul 20, 1983ASAssignmentOwner name: NIFCO INC., 184-MAIOKA-CHO, TOTSUKA-KU, YOKOHAMA-SFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:MITOMI, SEIJI;REEL/FRAME:004215/0566Effective date: 19830621RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google