Floating fastener retainer assembly with removable fasteners

A fastener assembly comprising:

• a channel member having a web portion and tow spaced apart flange portions extending from the same side of said web portion;
• at least one fastener captivated by said channel member, each captivated fastener including a base defined by opposed sides;
• for each captivated fastener, at least one discrete projection extending from each flange portion over the respective captivated fastener base towards the other flange portion;
• there being an opening into the channel member extending between two projections extending from opposite flange portions;
• said channel member, said discrete projections extending from each flange portion over a cpativated fastener base and each captivated fastener base being sized such that each captivated fastener has limited movement with respect to said channel member when the base of each captivated fastener is positioned in said channel member between said web portion and respective discrete projections and such that removal of a captivated fastener base through said opening is prevented while said channel member is unflexed;
• at least said discrete projection or projections extending from one flange portion over a captivated fastener base having configuration which facilitates the insertion of the base of each captivated fastener into said channel member through said opening, such that when one side of each captivated fastener base is disposed in said channel member the opposite side rests on a discrete projection or projections having said configuration, said channel member being elastically flexible such that the application of a relatively small force to said fastener base causes elastic flexing of said channel member such that at least one flange portion moves outwardly a distance sufficient for said fastener base to clear said projection or projections and be seated in said channel member between said web portion and said discrete projections;
• said fastener base further having a configuration for facilitating removal of said fastener base from said channel member through said opening, said fastener base configuration being disposed adjacent at least one of said opposed sides of said fastener base which at least one side is disposed adjacent a flange portion of said channel member when said fastener base is captivated in said channel member;
• for each captivated fastener, said at least one projection projecting from said flange portion adjacent said configuration of said fastener base being sized and positioned so as to permit access to said base configuration for removing said fastener base from said channel member.

A clamping system for clamping two adjacently positioned objects together comprising first and second complementary fastener assemblies, each fastener assembly adapted to be positioned at the surface of a respective object in an opposing relationship to the other assembly and comprising:

• a channel member having a web portion and two spaced apart flange portions extending from the same side of said web portion;
• at least one fastener captivated by said channel member, each captivated fastener including a base defined by opposed sides, the fasteners captivated by the first and second assemblies being respectively complementary;
• for each captivated fastener, one or more discrete projections extending from at least one of the flange portions over the respective captivated fastener base towards the other flange portion;
• there being an opening into the channel member extending between one projection on said one flange portion and an opposed flange portion or between one projection on said one flange portion and a projection extending from the opposite flange portion depending on the number and locations of projections used for retaining each fastener;
• said channel member, said one or more discrete projections extending over a captivated fastener base and each captivated fastener base being sized such that each captivated fastener has limited movement with respect to said channel member when the base of each captivated fastener is positioned in said channel member between said web portion and respective one or more discrete projections extending from at least one of said flange portions and such that removal of a captivated fastener base through said opening is prevented while said channel member is unflexed;
• said one or more discrete projections extending from at least one of said flange portions having configuration which facilitates the insertion of the base of each captivated fastener into said channel member through said opening, such that when one side of each captivated fastener base is disposed in said channel member the opposite side rests on at least one of said discrete projections having said configuration, said channel member being elastically flexible such that the application of a relatively small force to said fastener base causes elastic flexing of said channel member such that at least one flange portion moves outwardly at a distance sufficient for said fastener base to clear said one or more projections extending from said one flange portion and be seated in said channel member between said web portion and said one or more discrete projections;
• said fastener base further having configuration for facilitating removal of said fastener base from said channel member through said opening, said fastener base configuration being disposed adjacent at least one of said opposed sides of said base which at least one side is disposed adjacent a flange portion of said channel member when said fastener base is captivated in said channel member;
• for each captivated fastener, said one or more projections projecting from said flange portion adjacent said configuration of said fastener base being sized and positioned so as to permit access to said fastener base configuration for removing said fastener base from said channel member.

A fastener assembly comprising:

• a channel member having a web portion and two spaced apart flange portions extending from the same side of said web portion;
• at least one fastener captivated by said channel member, each captivated fastener including a base defined by opposed sides;
• for each captivated fastener, a plurality of discrete, spaced projections extending from each flange portion over the respective captivated fastener base towards the other flange portion;
• there being an opening into the channel member extending between two projections extending from opposite flange portions;
• said channel member, said discrete projections extending from each flange portion over a captivated fastener base and each captivated fastener base being sized such that each captivated fastener has limited movement with respect to said channel member when the base of each captivated fastener is positioned in said channel member between said web portion and respective discrete projections and such that removal of a captivated fastener base through said opening is prevented while said channel member is unflexed;
• said discrete projections extending at least from one flange portion over a captivated fastener base having configuration which facilitates the insertion of the base of each captivated fastener into said channel member through said opening such that when one side of each captivated fastener base is disposed in said channel member the opposite side rests on discrete projections having said configuration, said channel member being elastically flexible such that the application of a relatively small force to said fastener base causes elastic flexing of said channel member such taht at least one flange portion moves outwardly a distance sufficient for said fastener base to clear said projections and be seated in said channel member between said web portion and said discrete projections;
• said fastener base further having configuration for facilitating removal of said fastener base from said channel member through said opening, said fastener base configuration comprising a recess disposed adjacent at least one of said opposed sides of said base which at least one side is disposed adjacent a flange portion of said channel member when said fastener base is captivated in said channel member;
• for each captivated fastener, said projections projecting from said flange portion which are adjacent said recess of said fastener base being sized and spaced so as to expose and permit access to said recess for removing said fastener base from said channel member.