Patent Description:
Such fasteners are used to attach components of, for example, a vehicle. There are many forms of fasteners, often these fasteners are complex to use and complex to manufacture.

Typically, such fasteners are made of metal, and are of a complex design. Fasteners made from metal also tend to make the fastener relatively heavy, which can lead to problems in use. Thus, such metal fasteners can be expensive to manufacture. The prior art fasteners also tend to be limited to what size panels can be attached, and therefore are limited in use to what these fasteners can be used for. Thus, often a number of different types of fasteners are required to be used, adding to the complexity of manufacture, time, and cost, for example in the manufacture of a vehicle. <CIT> and <CIT> are examples of such fasteners.

Proceeding from the prior art it is an object of the present invention to address some of the problems associated with the prior art fasteners. It is an object of the present invention to provide an easy to use fastener. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fastener that is easy to manufacture.

An aspect of the invention is set out in the independent claim. Dependent claims describe optional features.

In one aspect of the invention there is provided a fastener for coupling two panel structures, comprising:.

This provides the advantage that the fastener of the present invention is simple to use and simple to manufacture, having few parts but still able to give a reliable attachment. Having few parts may allow a fastener of less weight to be manufactured. Having few parts and being easy to manufacture may allow manufacturing to be less costly than previously. The configuration of the present invention also has the advantage that panels of varying sizes may be attached. Therefore, the present fastener may be used to attach panels of a wide range of panel thicknesses. The panels being attached may be different thicknesses. Therefore, the fasteners of the present invention can be more widely used, lessening the need for fasteners of other types to be used.

Advantageously, said first member and said second member may be arranged perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said base member.

Advantageously, said nut member may be configured to rotate from said first position to said second position.

Advantageously, said fastener may further comprise at least one resilient leg provided on any one of said base member, said first member and said second member and that is arranged laterally with respect to said longitudinal axis and extending into said receiving portion, and configured to biasingly engage with a panel structure received in said receiving portion.

Preferably, said fastener may comprise at least two resilient legs each one arranged laterally with respect to said longitudinal axis on opposing sides of said base portion.

Advantageously, said fastener may be made from integrally molded plastic.

Preferably, said nut member may comprise a central threaded bore configured for operably engage with a screw.

Advantageously, said internal surface may comprise at least two radially opposing stop members each one protruding radially inwardly from said internal surface.

Advantageously, said nut member may comprise at least two block members each one protruding radially outward from said outer surface of said nut member and configured to stoppingly engage with a respective one of said at least two stop members. Preferably, said at least two block members may be arranged radially opposite to each other.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the figures:.

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words 'upper' and 'lower' and designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made and are with respect to the described component when assembled and mounted. The words 'inner', 'inwardly' and 'outer', 'outwardly' refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, a designated centreline or a geometric centre of an element being described (e.g. central axis), the particular meaning being readily apparent from the context of the description.

Like reference numerals are used to depict like features throughout.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG> different perspective views, as well as, a standard front, rear, side and top view are shown of a first example embodiment of the fastener <NUM> of the present invention. The fastener <NUM> comprises, inter alia, a first member <NUM> arranged at the proximal end <NUM> of a base member <NUM>, and a second member <NUM> arranged at a distal end <NUM> of the base member <NUM>. The first member <NUM> has a through bore <NUM> and the second member <NUM> has an aperture <NUM>. Both, the through bore <NUM> and the aperture <NUM> have central axes <NUM> and <NUM> that are arranged coaxial to each other, as well as, parallel to a longitudinal axis <NUM> of the base member <NUM>.

The aperture <NUM> of the second member <NUM> has two radially opposing stop members 122a and 122b protruding inwardly from an internal surface of the aperture <NUM>. The through bore <NUM> is suitable to operably receive a predetermined screw or bolt.

A nut member <NUM> is operably coupled within the aperture <NUM>, i.e. a threaded through bore <NUM> of the nut member <NUM> is coaxially aligned with the central axes <NUM> and <NUM> of the first and second member <NUM>, <NUM>. Further, the nut member <NUM> comprises two radially opposing block members 126a and 126b that are adapted to stoppingly engage with respective stop members 122a and 122b when the nut member <NUM> is rotated about its central axis <NUM> within the aperture <NUM>. Before a first use, the nut member <NUM> is in a first position, where it is frangibly connected to the internal surface of the aperture <NUM>. The frangible connection 127a, 127b (e.g. via two opposing frangible connectors) is broken when the nut member <NUM> is first rotated about its central axis <NUM> from the first position towards a second position, where each one of the block members 126a, 126b stoppingly engages with a respective stop member 122a, 122b of the aperture <NUM>. It is understood by the person skilled in the art, that any suitable number of corresponding stop members 122a, 122b and/or block members 126a, 126b may be used to provide the intended interaction between the nut member <NUM> and the aperture <NUM> of the second member <NUM>.

In this particular example, two parallelly arranged resilient legs 128a, 128b are provided so as to biasingly protrude from the first member <NUM> into a receiving portion <NUM> and towards the second member <NUM>. Here, each one of the resilient legs 128a, 128b is formed from a lateral portion of the first member <NUM> that are bent into the receiving portion <NUM> so as to extend from a top portion of the first member <NUM> toward a bottom portion of the second member <NUM>, providing a declining sliding surface for a panel structure <NUM> that may be pushed into the receiving portion <NUM> of the fastener <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the fastener <NUM> is shown in a sequence when used to couple/attach two panel structures 200a, 200b together. Here, panel structure 200a is simply pushed into the receiving portion <NUM> sliding down the resilient legs 128a, 128b axially aligning a through hole of the panel structure 200a with the aperture <NUM> and, at the same time, bending the resilient legs 128a, 128b towards the first member <NUM>. Once in position, the resilient legs biasingly engage with the panel structure 200a, pushing it towards the second member <NUM>. A through hole of a second panel structure 200b is then aligned with the through bore <NUM> of the first member <NUM> and a screw or bolt <NUM> is pushed through the through hole of the second panel structure 200b, the through bore <NUM> and the through hole of the first panel structure 200a into screwing engagement with the nut member <NUM>. When the screw or bolt <NUM> is screwed into the threaded through bore <NUM>, the nut member <NUM> is pulled towards the first member <NUM> breaking the frangible connection 127a, 127b and slidingly rotating the block members 126a, 126b of the nut member <NUM> into engagement with the stop members 122a, 122b of the aperture <NUM>. Once the nut member <NUM> is in this second position, further rotation of the screw or bolt <NUM> slidingly moves the nut member <NUM> towards (or away from) and into abutting engagement with the panel structure 200a (depending on direction of rotation of the screw or bolt <NUM>). At this point, further tightening rotation of the screw or bolt <NUM> squeezes the two panel structures 200a, 200b and first member <NUM> together so as to form a tight connection between the panel structures 200a, 200b and the fastener <NUM>. Also, in this position, the two lateral resilient legs 128a. 128b are aligned with the first member <NUM>, i.e. sitting between the first and second panel structure 200a, 200b.

The nut member may further comprise a flange portion <NUM> adapted to abuttingly engage with a surface of the first panel structure 200a.

<FIG> and <FIG> show the fastener <NUM> of the first embodiment but coupled with one different panel structure 202b.

Referring now to <FIG>, an alternative example embodiment <NUM> of the fastener of the present invention is shown. The alternative fastener <NUM> operates in substantially the same way as the fastener <NUM> of the first example embodiment, but with minor variations in the dimensions and the frangible connection between the nut member <NUM> and the aperture <NUM> of the second member <NUM>. Further, the two resilient legs 428a, 428b have a different design and are formed from the base portion <NUM> extending from the second member <NUM> towards the first member <NUM>. In addition, the frangible connection 427a, 427b is provided circumferentially offset (<NUM> degrees) from the stop members 422a, 422b, whereas, in the first example embodiment <NUM>, the frangible connection 127a, 127b (see <FIG>) is radially in line with the stop members 122a, 122b.

<FIG> shows a sequence of coupling two panels 500a, 500b utilising the fastener <NUM> of the alternative embodiment. The sequence of operation is identical to the sequence used for the fastener <NUM> of the first embodiment.

Once the first panel 500a and second panel 500b are in position and a screw or bolt <NUM> is inserted, the nut member <NUM> may be rotated on rotation of the screw or bolt <NUM>. The direction of rotation can be seen from the arrow in <FIG>. The frangible connection, or frangible connectors 427a, 427b, not shown in <FIG> but shown in <FIG>, is broken on rotation of the nut member <NUM>.

On rotation of the nut member <NUM> the block members 426a, 426b engage with the stop members 422a, 422b, preventing further rotation of the nut member <NUM>. Further rotation of the screw or bolt <NUM> (in the direction as shown in <FIG>) causes the nut member <NUM> to be axially pulled towards the first panel structure 500a.

Thus, in using the fastener <NUM>, <NUM> of the present embodiments, for example to attach two panels 200a, 200b or 500a, 500b of a car door, in the manufacture of a car, a first panel 200a, 500a may be inserted into the receiving portion <NUM>, <NUM> of the fastener <NUM>, <NUM>, and a second panel 200b, 500b may be positioned at the proximal side of the first member <NUM>, <NUM> of the fastener <NUM>, <NUM>. When the panels 200a, 200b or 500a, 500b are in position on the fastener <NUM>, <NUM>, a screw or bolt <NUM>, <NUM>, for example, a fastening screw, may be inserted. A screw driver or similar tool may be used to rotate the screw or bolt <NUM>, <NUM>. The screw driver or similar tool may assist in placing the screw or bolt <NUM>, <NUM> through the panels 200a, 200b, 500a, 500b being attached and the first member <NUM>, <NUM> of the fastener <NUM>, <NUM> and to position the screw or bolt <NUM>, <NUM> ready for insertion into the nut member <NUM>, <NUM> or for partial insertion into the nut member <NUM>, <NUM>.

Thus, in this manner, for example, two panels 200a, 200b, 500a, 500b for a car door may be attached together. The fastener <NUM>, <NUM> of the present invention being configured to enable panels of different thicknesses to be attached together and a wide range of panel thickness that can be used, alleviates the need to use a fastener of a different type.

Claim 1:
A fastener (<NUM>, <NUM>) for coupling two panel structures (200a, 200b, 202b, 500a, 500b), comprising:
a base member (<NUM>, <NUM>), having a proximal end portion (<NUM>) and a distal end portion (<NUM>) extending along a longitudinal axis (<NUM>);
a first member (<NUM>, <NUM>), provided on said base member (<NUM>, <NUM>) towards said proximal end portion (<NUM>), said first member (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising a through bore (<NUM>) having a first central axis (<NUM>) that is parallel to said longitudinal axis (<NUM>);
a second member (<NUM>, <NUM>), provided on said base member (<NUM>, <NUM>) towards said distal end portion (<NUM>) and spaced apart from said first member (<NUM>, <NUM>) so as to form a receiving portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to receive at least one panel structure (200a, 500a), comprising an aperture (<NUM>, <NUM>) defining an internal surface and having a second central axis (<NUM>) that is coaxially aligned with said first central axis (<NUM>), said internal surface comprising at least one stop member (122a, 122b, 422a, 422b) protruding radially inwardly from said internal surface, and
a nut member (<NUM>, <NUM>), coaxially aligned within and frangibly connected to said internal surface of said aperture (<NUM>, <NUM>), comprising at least one block member (126a, 126b, 426a, 426b) protruding radially outward from an outer surface of said nut member (<NUM>, <NUM>) and configured to stoppingly engage with said at least one stop member (122a, 122b, 422a, 422b), and
wherein, during use, said nut member (<NUM>, <NUM>) is configured to move from a first position, where said nut member (<NUM>, <NUM>) is frangibly connected to said internal surface, to a second position, where said at least one block member (126a, 126b, 426a, 426b) is abuttingly engaged with said at last one stop member (122a, 122b, 422a, 422b) so as to allow axial movement of said nut member (<NUM>, <NUM>) within said aperture (<NUM>, <NUM>) of said second member (<NUM>, <NUM>).