Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
315 words
A one-piece plastic rotatable fastener for mounting at least one panel in predetermined spaced relation to a support, said support carrying a male contact having a predetermined axial length in relation to one reference surface of said support, said panel including a female contact having a predetermined position relative to said panel whereby when said panel is oriented and maintained at a predetermined distance from said support said female contact will telescopically engage said male contact at a preselected optimum position, said fastener including a central axially extending body portion, flange means extending radially outwardly from predetermined spaced positions on said body portion, resilient stud means extending axially from one end of said body portion and having positive shoulder means spaced from and in opposing relatioN to one of said flange means and adapted to be snapped into said apertured support means with said shoulder means contacting said predetermined reference surface of said support means, said stud means adapted to be positively axially retained against inadvertent removal but capable of rotation within said aperture of the support means, said body portion extending axially beyond said other flange means at the end opposite said stud and carrying at least one substantially rigid wing element extending radially outwardly in overlying spaced relation to said other flange means, said wing element including a depending resilient arm the free end of which is spaced from said other flange means a distance less than the thickness of said panel, said other flange means having the surface facing said flexible arm acting as a reference plane spaced from said shoulder means said predetermined distance whereby rotation of said fastener results in said flexible arm forcing said panel into intimate engagement with said other flange means reference surface thereby insuring accurate positionment of said male contact within said female contact to obtain the predetermined optimum contact between said male and female contacts.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
315 words
A one-piece plastic rotatable fastener for mounting at least one panel in predetermined spaced relation to a support, said support carrying a male contact having a predetermined axial length in relation to one reference surface of said support, said panel including a female contact having a predetermined position relative to said panel whereby when said panel is oriented and maintained at a predetermined distance from said support said female contact will telescopically engage said male contact at a preselected optimum position, said fastener including a central axially extending body portion, flange means extending radially outwardly from predetermined spaced positions on said body portion, resilient stud means extending axially from one end of said body portion and having positive shoulder means spaced from and in opposing relatioN to one of said flange means and adapted to be snapped into said apertured support means with said shoulder means contacting said predetermined reference surface of said support means, said stud means adapted to be positively axially retained against inadvertent removal but capable of rotation within said aperture of the support means, said body portion extending axially beyond said other flange means at the end opposite said stud and carrying at least one substantially rigid wing element extending radially outwardly in overlying spaced relation to said other flange means, said wing element including a depending resilient arm the free end of which is spaced from said other flange means a distance less than the thickness of said panel, said other flange means having the surface facing said flexible arm acting as a reference plane spaced from said shoulder means said predetermined distance whereby rotation of said fastener results in said flexible arm forcing said panel into intimate engagement with said other flange means reference surface thereby insuring accurate positionment of said male contact within said female contact to obtain the predetermined optimum contact between said male and female contacts.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
A fastener of the type claimed in claim 1 wherein said body portion is a substantially rigid columnar member supporting said flange means adjacent opposite ends thereof and reinforcing means engaging said other flange means against flexing in a plane disposed along the axis of said body portion and in which plane said resilient arms are initially located thereby insuring a positive relative spacing between said shoulder means and said other flange means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A fastener of the type claimed in claim 2 wherein said first mentioned flange means is flexible in a plane including said shoulder means to insure acceptance of a wide variation of tolerance in the thickness of said support and to maintain said shoulder means in intimate engagement with the reference surface of said support.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
129 words
A device of the type claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastener includes a pair of rigid wing elements extending radially outwardly in overlying spaced relation to said other flange and with each wing element carrying a dependent resilient flexible arm having a cammed free extremity spaced from said other flange means a distance less than the thickness of said panel with said fastener being adapted to be inserted into said support, a pair of panels laid on said other flange means on opposite sides of said wing elements and said fastener rotated into overlying relationship with said resilient flexible arms moving in opposite directions relative to said plane in which they initially fall to insure positive engagement of said panels with the reference surface of said other flange.