Patent ID: 7241096

Claim:
A captive screw with a deployable knob for electronic assemblies, the captive screw comprising: (a) a screw having a shaft with first end, and a threaded end for engaging a first panel, and at least two, spaced, grooves formed in the shaft; (b) a cover captivating the screw and for attaching the captive screw to a second panel; (c) a knob assembly rotationally fixed to the shaft and movable along the shaft, the knob assembly being positioned proximate the first end of the shaft; the knob assembly being movable between a first position and a second position and including: (1) a knob having a core cavity; and (2) a lock wafer movable in the knob between a locked position and an unlocked position for engaging either one of the grooves formed in the shaft in the locked position, the knob assembly being movable along the shaft when the lock wafer is in the unlocked position, the screw and knob assembly being fixed to rotate as a unit; and (3) a clutch for moving the lock wafer between the locked position and the unlocked position, the clutch including: (A) a release button having a head and being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position; and (B) a spring for biasing the release button in the locked position; the knob having the core cavity with an upper section and a lower section, the lower section being adapted for receiving the screw, the upper section having a cross-sectional area substantially coextensive with the cross-sectional area of the knob, the upper section of the core cavity being adapted for receiving the head of the release button, the head of the release button being substantially coextensive with the cross-sectional area of the upper section of the core cavity and centered in the upper core cavity.