Abstract:
A fastener has an integral closure. The fastener maintains the relative position of concentrically nested or telescopically related inner and outer tubes. The closure occludes the inner tube. The fastener can be used for assembling children&#39;s products such as play-yards, strollers, swings, and other types of furniture, transports, and accessories.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Many types of children&#39;s products are assembled using tubular components that must be fixed to one another or to a bracket. Frequently, these tubular components are manufactured from metal or plastic. By allowing a retailer or the consumer to assemble the children&#39;s product, the bulk of the product may be reduced, and hence the costs of packaging and shipping the product may also be reduced. However, it is necessary to provide a fastener that is easy for the retailer or consumer to use, and that provides a positive connection. 
     It has also been found desirable to enable consumers to repeatedly assemble and disassemble some children&#39;s products in order to facilitate frequent transportation of the product. Thus, the connections must be able to perform reliably through a great number of duty cycles. 
     One type of conventional fastener for a joint between two nested tubular components includes a projection that is biased to extend through aligned holes in each of the tubular components. Conventionally, the projection is biased by a resilient element located inside the inner one of the tubular components. Examples of such conventional fasteners in children&#39;s products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,431 (Brown et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,227 (Huang), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,386 (Eichhorn). Examples of these conventional fasteners in other technologies include U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,974 (Yang), U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,864 (Vosbikian et al), U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,702 (Wang), U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,428 (Marchwiak et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,900 (Stilley), U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,103 (Chin-Shung), U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,800 (Yang), U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,261 (Stanley et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,179 (Adams), U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,287 (Esposito), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,216 (Pansini). 
     In operation, the projection maintains the relative positional relationship of the tubular components. At such time as it is desirable to disconnect or reorient the tubular components with respect to one another, the projection is depressed against the bias of the resilient element until the projection is clear of the outer tubular element. At this time, the outer tubular element may be displaced relative to the inner tubular element. 
     One disadvantage of these conventional fasteners is that the projection may be depressed too aggressively such that the projection also clears the inner tubular element. In this situation, the projection or resilient element may be displaced to such a degree that the projection is no longer positioned to extend through the inner tubular element, thus rendering the connection inoperable. 
     In the course of assembling a children&#39;s product that includes nested or telescopic elements, e.g., tubes, it is also desirable to provide a closure for occluding an exposed end of at least one of the elements. Conventional closures, e.g., plugs or end caps, prevent foreign substances from entering the element&#39;s exposed end, as well as improve the aesthetic qualities of the product. Traditionally, these conventional closures are installed once, i.e., they are not intended to be removed/replaced each time a product is disassembled/reassembled. Such conventional closures are independent and unrelated to conventional fasteners. 
     One disadvantage of these conventional closures is that they are often dislodged from the end of the tubular element. These conventional closures are traditionally held in the end by an interference fit, which, in the course of regular use, may become loose, thus enabling the conventional closure to simply fall out of the end of the tubular element. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is drawn to a fastener with an integral closure, and a connection assembly. The fastener can maintain the relative position of concentrically nested or telescopically related inner and outer tubes. The fastener has an integral closure that can occlude a tubular member. The fastener can be used for assembling children&#39;s products such as play-yards, strollers, swings, and other types of furniture, transports, and accessories. 
     The fastener can maintain the relative position of concentrically nested inner and outer tubes, where the inner tube has an inside surface and an outside surface separated by a first tubing wall thickness, the outer tube has an interior surface and an exterior surface separated by a second tubing wall thickness, and the inner and outer tubes have respective first and second holes penetrating the first and second wall thicknesses, respectively. 
     The fastener has a projection, a resilient body, and a closure. The projection can matingly engage the first and second holes. The resilient body is connected to the projection and can bias the projection through the first and second holes. The resilient body is elastically deformable between a first configuration, where the projection can extend through the first and second tubing wall thicknesses, and a second configuration, where the projection can extend through the first tubing wall thickness. The closure is integrally connected to the resilient body and can overlie the first wall thickness. 
     The connection assembly includes a combination of the fastener and the inner and outer tubes. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings show an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastener in accordance with the present invention, wherein the fastener is in a relaxed configuration. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the fastener shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the fastener shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the fastener shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-section view showing a connection between two nested tubes wherein the fastener according to the present invention is in a first configuration. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-section view similar to FIG. 5 showing the fastener according to the present invention is in a second configuration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein identical numerals indicate like parts, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a fastener  10  includes a projection  20  and a closure  30  that are fixed to a resilient body  40 . The projection  20  is fixed to a first end  42  of the resilient body  40  and the closure  30  is fixed to a second end  44  of the resilient body  40 . 
     The projection  20  is shown as a right-circular cylinder  22  having a rounded edge  24  and a flat tip  26 . However, the projection  20  need not be limited to this orientation or shape. The projection  20  may be oriented to extend arcuately as well as linearly from the first end  42 . The projection  20  may have any cross-sectional and three-dimensional shape. For example, the projection  20  may have an oval shape cross-section, or the projection  20  may have the shape of a hemisphere, pyramid, obelisk, etc. The projection  20  may also include such features as a tip  26  that is obliquely oriented or contoured to comfortably fit a human digit. The projection  20  need only be capable of maintaining the relative position of concentrically nested tubular elements, as will be described in greater detail with regard to FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     The closure  30  includes a first portion  32  that is shaped and sized to matingly engage an inside surface of a tubular element, such as inner tube  50  in FIG.  5 . The cross-sectional shape of the inside surface may be circular, oval, polygonal, etc. and the first portion  32  may be substantially congruent to this cross-sectional shape. Alternatively, the first portion  32  may include fingers that contact different points along the cross-sectional shape of the inside surface. Moreover, there can be an interference fit between the first portion  32  and the inside surface. 
     The closure also includes a second portion  34  for overlying an end surface of the tubular element. The size and shape of the second portion  34  can be congruent to the cross-sectional shape of the outside surface of the tubular element. The second portion  34  can include a shoulder that extends beyond the cross-sectional shape of the first portion  32  by a distance that generally corresponds to the wall thickness of the tubular element. Although the second portion  34  has been shown as a disk with a rounded edge  36 , the second portion  34  may present any aesthetically pleasing shape or design that occludes the end of the tubular element. 
     The resilient body  40  includes a first straight portion  46 , a bent portion  47 , and a second straight portion  48 . The first straight portion  46  extends from the projection  20  at the first end  42  to the bent portion  47 , and the second straight portion  48  extends from the closure  30  to the at the second end  44  to the bent portion  47 . Alternatively, one or both of the portions  46 , 48  can extend along something other than a straight path, e.g., an arcuate path. 
     The bent portion  47  can include a substantially continuous radius bend connecting the first and second portions  46 , 48 . Alternatively, the bent portion  47  may include any arrangement that connects the first and second portions  46 , 48  and enables the resilient body  40  to folded, with confronting faces of the first and second portions  46 , 48  contiguously abutting one another. 
     The resilient body  40 , including the portions  46 , 47 , 48 , can be integrally formed as a one-piece unit, or be monolithic. Moreover, the entire fastener  10 , i.e., the projection  20 , closure  30 , and resilient body  40 , can be integrally formed as a one-piece unit or be monolithic. Alternatively, the fastener  10  may be separately assembled by permanently fixing the projection  20  to the first portion  46 , permanently fixing the first portion  46  to the second portion  48  (i.e., eliminating the bent portion  47 ), or permanently fixing the cover  30  to the second portion  48 . 
     FIGS. 1-4 show the fastener  10  in a relaxed configuration. The dimensions of the fastener  10 , e.g., relative lengths of the first and second portions  46 , 48  and the radius of the bent portion  47 , are selected such that elastically deforming the resilient body  40  biases the projection  20  away from the second portion  48 . 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show a connection assembly, which includes an inner tube  50 , an outer tube  60 , and the fastener  10 . The inner tube  50  includes an inside surface  52  and an outside surface  54 . The wall thickness of the inner tube  50 , i.e., the separation between the inside and outside surfaces  52 , 54 , is penetrated by a first hole  56 . The outer tube  60  includes an interior surface  62  and an exterior surface  64 . The wall of the outer tube  60 , i.e., the separation between the interior and exterior surfaces  62 , 64 , has a second hole  66 . 
     The inner tube  50  is concentrically nested or telescopically received inside the outer tube  60 . That is to say, the outside surface  54  confronts and is displaceable with respect to the interior surface  62 . Similarly, the closure  30  is receivable inside the inner tube  50 , as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     The fastener  10  is received inside the inner tube  50 . The first portion  32  of the cover  30  confronts and matingly engages the inside surface  52 , and the second portion  34  of the cover  30  confronts and contiguously abuts an end  58  of the inner tube  50 . 
     FIG. 5 shows the fastener  10  in a first configuration, where the projection  20  is biased to extend through the aligned first and second holes  56 , 66 . In this first configuration, the relative position of the inner and outer tubes  50 , 60  is maintained by the projection  20  of the fastener  10 . 
     FIG. 6 shows the fastener  10  in a second configuration, where the projection  20  is biased to extend only through the first hole  56 . In this second configuration, the relative position of the inner and outer tubes  50 , 60  is adjustable. 
     The biasing force of the resilient body  40  is adapted to be greater in the second configuration (FIG. 6) than in the first configuration (FIG.  5 ). As noted above, the resilient body  40  does not produce a biasing force in the relaxed configuration (FIGS.  1 - 4 ). 
     A number of variations and modifications are also envisioned within the scope of the present invention. For example, the second hole  66  in the outer tube  60  may be in the shape of a slot extending axially, circumferentially, or obliquely around the outer tube  60 . As such, with the fastener  10  in the first configuration, the second hole  66  would enable some degree of relative sliding or turning between the inner and outer tubes  50 , 60 . The outer tube  60  need not fully circumscribe the inner tube  50 ; in some situations, the outer tube  60  can be formed in the shape of a saddle that only partially circumscribes the inner tube  50 . Further there can be some clearance between the first portion  32  of the closure  30  and the inside surface  52  of the inner tube  50 . This clearance is possible because the projection  20  will retain the closure  30  at the end  58  of the inner tube  50 . The outer tube  60  can also extend beyond the closure  30  on the inner tube  50  and can be closed with a conventional plug or end cap. 
     In the present invention, the closure can maintain the orientation of the fastener projection with respect to an aperture in a tubular member. In the unlikely event that the projection is displaced with respect to the aperture, the closure can be grasped and the projection repositioned to extend through the aperture. Moreover, the closure can be retained in the end of the tubular member by virtue of the projection extending through the aperture. 
     Given the disclosure of the present invention, one versed in the art would appreciate that there may be other embodiments and modifications within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, all modifications attainable by one versed in the art from the present disclosure within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention accordingly is to be defined as set forth in the appended claims.