Double cord edge fastener

A locking assembly for locking a flexible cover in place on a structure comprising a first member having a first upright wall, said first upright wall having a first concave surface extending along the length of said member and forming an overhanging ledge member, second wall means spaced from said first upright wall and defining in combination with the concave surface of said first upright wall a channel opening, said second wall means having a second concave detent surface facing the concave surface of said first upright wall, a flexible sheet of material, a pair of side by side separable lock bead members encompassed within a folded over hem portion of said flexible sheet, said hem portion joining said lock bead members to each other in side by side relationship and a seam between said lock bead members forming a reduced cross sectional area between said lock bead members whereby said lock bead members can be bent toward and away from each other through said reduced cross sectional area for insertion between said first upright wall and said second wall means, said flexible sheet being loaded against the upper edge of said first upright wall under force generally in a direction from said second wall means toward said first upright wall and said flexible sheet extending away from said first upright wall in said direction, a first of said lock bead members being forced under the ledge member and engaging said first concave surface when moved by force from said flexible sheet in said direction, and the second of said lock bead members engaging said concave detent surface, said first and second concave surface being spaced apart so that the first of said lock bead members is forced under the ledge member on the first upright wall when the second of the lock bead members is in engagement with the second concave detent surface, said lock bead members thereby being retained between said concave surfaces.

In combination, an elastomeric lock member and a channel having a base and coextensive walls extending from the base, each of said walls having a concave surface facing the other wall, said walls being spaced apart a preselected distance to define an unobstructed opening therebetween facing away from said base, a first of said walls defining a deep concave surface;

• said lock member being positioned in said unobstructed opening of said channel between the walls thereof and comprising flexible elastomeric material and having first means adjacent said first wall for attachment to a flexible sheet, said first means extending in a first direction, a first bead member molded integrally with the first means and being offset from said first means, and a detent portion substantially coextensive with said first bead member, said detent portion extending in a direction from said first bead member opposite from the extension of said first means from said first bead member, and means joining said detent portion and said first bead member together including a resilient flexible section molded to the detent portion and first bead member and permitting bending movement of the detent portion relative to said first bead member in the region of said flexible section whereby said first bead member and said detent portion can be bent toward each other for insertion between the walls of said channel, and said flexible section permitting said bead member and detent portion to bend relative to each other to a position so that said bead member and detent portion tightly engage the respective walls of said channel when force is applied to said first means, said first means being offset sufficiently to extend around the first wall of the channel and outside said channel, and said detent portion and other wall of said channel having mating surfaces which provide only a shallow insertion of the detent portion into the concave surface of said other wall.

In combination, a molded elastomeric lock member and an open top channel, said channel comprising a base and two side wall portions having facing concave surfaces extending from said base, said molded elastomeric lock member having a first tab member adapted to be attached to a flexible sheet, and two adjacent lock portions integrally molded together and a first lock portion being molded to the tab member, said lock portions being positioned in said channel, and of size to together engage both of said concave surfaces, said tab member being offset from said lock portions so that said tab member extends outside of said channel through said open top, said tab member extending in a direction at an acute angle to and over one of said side wall portions and away from the other side wall portion of said channel, said two lock portions being joined to each other by a flexible junction portion integrally molded with said lock portions, said flexible junction portion being at least partially formed by a recess which separates said first of said lock portions from a second of said lock portions, said second lock portion being connected to said first lock portion only by said flexible junction portion to permit said second lock portion to move relative to said first lock portion and said tab member for insertion and removal of said lock portions into and out of said open top channel, the concave surface formed by said other side wall and said second lock portion engaging to form a shallow interlock of said last mentioned concave surface and second lock portion to permit ready removal of said second lock portion from the channel upon application of a force thereto in direction upwardly from said base of said channel.