Anchoring retainer for threaded fasteners

Claim 1

A fastener assembly adapted to attach a connecting member provided with an opening to a supporting structure comprising in combination a retainer for mounting in a blind hole of the supporting structure and a threaded element which extends into and is threadedly carried by said retainer for holding said retainer in the blind hole and for attaching the connecting member, said retainer being foldable prior to insertion into the blind hole and comprising a flexible unitary one-piece body made from a plastic material, said body being symmetrical and having an axis which is adapted to extend through the hole in the supporting structure when the retainer is folded and inserted therein, said body having a top, a bottom and a pair of sides, said body between said sides being of substantially uniform width between said top and said bottom, said body prior to its insertion into said hole being of generally triangular configuration when viewed from either one of the sides thereof, said body having a sleeve provided with a sleeve opening surrounding the axis, and sleeve being of rectangular cross section and having a first pair of parallel edge surfaces forming part of the parallel sides of said body, and a second pair of parallel edge surfaces perpendicular to said first pair of parallel edge surfaces and located on opposite sides of said axis, said second pair of edge surfaces being provided with a pair of integrally formed elongated flexible legs, each of said legs having a width generally equal to the distance between the other pair of opposing edges of said sleeve, said legs having said surfaces forming part of the parallel sides of said body, an elongated flexible strut having side surfaces forming part of the parallel sides of said body, said strut being spaced axially from said sleeve and located entirely between said legs, said strut prior to folding being of V-shape and including a central strut portion spaced for the sleeve and a pair of flexible connecting strut portions, a centrally located axially extending opening provided in said central strut portion, each of said connecting strut portions being integrally connected to the central strut portion and to one of the flexible legs near the end thereof, the legs and strut portions of said retainer being moved together to permit said retainer to be inserted into the blind hole, with said sleeve end of the retainer being inserted first into the blind hole and being spaced from the bottom of the blind hole, with said ends of the flexible legs being near the open end of the blind hole, said threaded element extending through the opening in the connecting member and through the opening in the central strut portion and thereafter being threadedly connected to said sleeve whereby rotation of said threaded element into the blind hole being effective to axially move said retainer relative to the open end of the blind hole until the ends of said legs are forceably urged against the opposite surface of the connecting member being mounted on the supporting structure, with continued rotation of said threaded element into the blind hole placing said resilient legs in compression causing a bulge in said legs which assists in moving the outer surfaces of the legs into tight frictional contact with the wall of the blind hole along the height of said legs.