Plastic rivet having integral drive pin and body

Claim 1

A plastic rivet for securing two members by passing through an aligned hole in said members, said rivet being formed of a resilient material and comprising: a drive pin having a head, a shank projecting from an under surface of said head and a first locking means located at a distal end of said shank; and a body having a head and an elongated portion, said elongated portion being insertable into said hole and having a plurality of longitudinal members projecting from an under surface of said head, said longitudinal members tapering radially outwardly from a longitudinal axis of said elongated portion, a distal end of each of said longitudinal members being interconnected by a nose, said nose tapering radially inwardly toward said longitudinal axis, a space between said longitudinal members defining a passage, said passage extending through said head, each of said longitudinal members including a first mating surface located at a proximal end and a second mating surface located at said distal end; wherein said shank is partially insertable into said passage so that said first locking means engages with said first mating surfaces, imparting a retention force on said drive pin opposing said drive pin from being withdrawn from said passage; wherein when said drive pin is fully inserted into said passage, said first locking means engages with said second mating surfaces, imparting a retention force on said drive pin opposing said drive pin from being withdrawn from said passage, said shank opposing said longitudinal members from being biased inwardly toward said longitudinal axis, thereby opposing said body from being withdrawn from said hole and, wherein a plurality of resilient legs project longitudinally from said distal end of said shank, said first locking means comprises a protrusion projecting radially outwardly from each of said legs, said body having a plurality of transverse slots defining said first mating surfaces, each of said distal ends of said longitudinal members having a shoulder defining said second mating surfaces, said legs being inwardly deflected while said drive pin is being driven into said body, said legs then relaxing when said drive pin is fully driven into said body.