Method of joining a molded first part to a mating part carrying a first thread member

Claim 1

A method of joining a molded first part to a mating part carrying a first threaded member, the steps comprising: (a) molding said first part to have integral ribs projecting outwardly from one side thereof having shoulders spaced apart along a loading axis, each rib having a pair of planar surfaces aligned with said loading axis; (b) forming an element with a complimentary threaded member and with a supporting base plate, said base plate having opposed shoulders adapted to mate and engage at least one shoulder of each of said ribs to transfer transverse loads therebetween, said plate also having at least one pair of opposed fingers projecting therefrom, toward each other, with the spacing between the tips of within a pair said fingers within a pair being less than the thickness of said ribs, whereby said at least one pair of fingers is effective to be resiliently sprung to engage with a pair of said planar surfaces permitting movement of the fingers therealong in one direction but preventing movement in an opposite direction; (c) forcing said element over said ribs to wedge said at least one pair of fingers onto the planar surfaces of said ribs and mating said shoulders of said plate and ribs; and (d) fitting said mating part to said first molded part and fixedly engaging the threaded members carried by each of said parts so that loads may be transferred transversely between said parts.

Claim 2

A method of joining a molded first part to a mating part carrying a first threaded member, the steps comprising: (a) molding said first part to have integral ribs projecting outwardly from one side thereof having shoulders spaced apart along a loading axis, each rib having a pair of planar surfaces aligned with said loading axis; (b) forming an element with a complimentary threaded member and with a supporting base plate, said base plate having opposed shoulders adapted to mate and engage at least one shoulder of each of said ribs to transfer transverse loads therebetween, said plate also having at least one pair of opposed fingers projecting therefrom, toward each other, with the spacing between the tips of within a pair said fingers within a pair being less than the thickness of said ribs, whereby said at least one pair of fingers is effective to be resiliently sprung to engage with a pair of said planar surfaces permitting movement of the fingers therealong in one direction but preventing movement in an opposite direction; (c) forcing said element over said ribs to wedge said at least one pair of fingers onto the planar surfaces of said ribs and mating said shoulders of said plate and ribs; and (d) fitting said mating part to said first molded part and fixedly engaging the threaded members carried by each of said parts so that loads may be transferred transversely between said parts.