Front insert receptacle

A front insert receptacle for fastening two members together comprising:

• a housing formed with a base and at least a pair of opposing legs extending from the peripheral portion of the base in the same direction and being separated from one another about the periphery of the base to provide spacing there between and being adapted to receive a stud therebetween;
• a stop surface on the housing to engage with the upper surface of one member when the receptacle is partially extended through an opening therein;
• rotational stop means on the housing to prevent rotation of the housing with respect to the one member when extended therein
• a cam surface on the housing and a shiftable cam follower on the housing initially positioned so that the cam surface retains the cam follower when the housing is inserted in the opening of one member;
• biasing means on the housing in engagement with the cam follower and initially biasing the cam follower against the cam surface and responsive to shifting of the cam follower with respect to the cam surface to a position out of engagement therewith whereupon the biasing member will direct at least a portion of the cam follower into engagement with the undersurface of the one member to retain the receptacle in position on the one member;
• stud locking means on the housing adapted to engage with the stud after the housing has been mounted on the other member and inserted into the housing whereupon relative rotation of the stud with respect to the housing in one direction will activate the stud locking means and relative rotation of the stud with respect to the housing in a second direction will deactivate the stud locking means and permit the stud to be removed from the housing and the two members to be separated;
• the housing being U-shaped in configuration with a pair of opposing spaced legs extending from the base;
• the cam surface being at least one inwardly projecting tang extending inwardly from the inner surface of a leg, the undersurface of the tang forming the cam surface for engagement of the cam follower;
• the cam follower being a rotatable plate having at least one protrusion extending from the peripheral surface thereof positioned so that the protrusion is located within the housing when the cam follower is in the initial position and when rotated with respect to the cam surface the protrusion will be extended outwardly from the legs of the housing for engagement with the undersurface of the one member.