Fastener assembly for mounting of wall-recessed cabinets and similar fixtures

Claim 1

A quick mounting assembly for theft-resistant installation of a cabinetlike fixture in a wall opening comprising: a. a subframe having a set of four sidewalls for holding said fixture, said subframe including subframe-fastening means for securing said subframe in said wall opening independently of said fixture prior to the installation of said fixture; b. a fixture having a set of four sidewalls for nesting within said four mating sidewalls of said subframe; c. a fixture-fastening means for holding said fixture in said subframe, said fixture-fastening means comprising pairs of mating fAstener elements, acutely one element of each pair being affixed to the inner surface of each of said four sidewalls of said subframe and the other element of each pair being affixed to a corresponding mating location on the outer surface of each of said four sidewalls of said fixture, so that upon insertion of said fixture in said subframe the holding forces between said fixture and said subframe are distributed among said four pairs of walls; and d. one of each pair of said fastener elements comprising a flexible spring clip having a base portion and an acutely angled projecting finger portion, and the other mating element of each pair comprising a serrated anchorplate formed of a plurality of sawtooth ridges, said sawtooth ridges being angled with respect to said spring clip so as to provide a unidirectional ratchet-and-pawl mechanism automatically engaged by insertion of said fixture inside of said previously secured subframe and, when so engaged, preventing withdrawal of said fixture from said subframe, said fastener elements being shielded from external manipulation by the respective walls of said subframe and fixture so as to prevent subsequent disengagement of said elements and withdrawal of said fixture from said subframe by an unauthorized person.