Fastener for cover member and cover assembly comprised thereof

A cover assembly comprised of a cover member made of resiliently yieldable material and having adjacent portions that are to be secured to one another, and a plurality of rigid fasteners;

• at least one of adjacent portions of said cover member having formed thereinto a plurality of recesses of generally circular cross section, each said recess comprising an inner section of relatively small effective inside diameter and an adjacent outer section of relatively large effective inside diameter, each of said fasteners being of generally cylindrical form and having opposite end portions, at least one of said end portions being a double-effect engagement portion comprised of an axially outward end section, having a first effective outside diameter, and an axially adjacent inward section having a second effective outside diameter substantially larger than said first diameter, each of said sections of said engagement portion being comprised of plurality of circumferentially extending, mutually adjacent retaining elements engageable in a corresponding section of said recess formed into said one adjacent portion of said cover member, said inner and outer sections of said recess being configured to engage said retaining elements of said outward end section and said inward section of said fastener engagement portion, respectively, said retaining elements of said outward end section of said engagement portion being of said first diameter and said retaining elements of said inward section being of said second diameter, said first and second diameters being substantially equal to said relatively small diameter and said relatively large diameter, respectively, of said recess sections, whereby said engagement portion of said fastener can be matingly engaged in said recess of said cover member adjacent portion.

A cover assembly comprised of a cover member made of resiliently yieldable material and having adjacent portions that are to be secured to one another, and a plurality of rigid fasteners;

• at least one of said adjacent portions of said cover member having formed thereinto a plurality of recesses spaced therealong, each said recess comprising an inner section having a relatively small effective maximum cross-sectional dimension, and an adjacent outer section having a relatively large effective maximum cross-sectional dimension;
• each of said fasteners having opposite end portions, at least one of said end portions being a double-effect engagement portion comprised of an axially outward end section, having a first maximum outside dimension, and an axially adjacent inward section having a second maximum outside dimension substantially larger than said first dimension;
• said outward end section of said engagement portion having at least one retaining element effectively of said first dimension, and said inward section of said engagement portion having at least one retaining element effectively of said second dimension, said first and second dimensions being substantially equal to said relatively small dimension and said relatively large dimension, respectively, of said recess sections, and said inner and outer sections of said recess being configured to engage said retaining elements of said outward end section and said inward end section of said fastener engagement portion, respectively, whereby each of said sections of said engagement portion is securely engageable in a corresponding section of said recess formed into said one adjacent portion of said cover member and said engagement portion of said fastener can be matingly engaged in said recess of said cover member adjacent portion;
• the difference between said first and second dimensions of said sections of said engagement portion of said each fastener, and the difference between said relatively small and relatively large dimensions of said sections of said each recess in said cover member portion, being such that said outward end section of said fastener engagingly fits relatively loosely in said outer section of said recess but with a degree of mechanical interference sufficient to avoid inadvertent disengagement.