Captive panel screw assembly
AssigneeDupree, Inc.
InventorJames D. Dupree
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A captive screw assembly for an edge lighted panel assembly of the type used in aircraft cockpits and the like. A screw carried in a resilient washer having a lip for retaining the screw and deflectable fingers for insertion into a panel opening for retaining the washer and screw in the panel. Typically the plate carries switches and other components and the panel is attached to the plate by the screws which engage threaded openings in the plate or in nuts carried by the plate.
Claims9
A washer for use with a screw having a head, a first threaded shaft section, a second shaft section between said head and first section, with said second section of lesser outside diameter than said first section such that said washer and screw form a captive panel screw assembly,
- said washer being unitary and having an outer end and an inner end with a central portion therebetween, and being formed entirely of a resilient material with a screw receiving passage therethrough,
- said washer having first lip means adjacent said outer end and projecting into and partially closing said passage for engaging the thread of the screw positioned therein,
- with said inner end of said washer having a greater outside diameter than said central portion, and with said inner end having second finger means deflectable inward for insertion through a panel opening of diameter less than said inner end outside diameter, and
- with the axial distance between said washer first lip means and the remote end of said second finger means being greater than the length of said screw first threaded shaft section such that said second finger means can be deflected inward and pass through the panel opening while said screw first threaded shaft section is within said washer screw receiving passage.
A captive screw assembly comprising in combination:
- a screw having a head, a first threaded shaft section, and a second shaft section between said head and first section, with said second section of lesser outside diameter than said first section;
- and
- a unitary washer having an inner end and an outer end with a central portion therebetween, and being formed entirely of a resilient material with a screw receiving passage therethrough with said screw positioned therein,
- said washer having first means adjacent said outer end for retaining said screw in said passage,
- with the inner end of said washer having a greater outside diameter than said central portion, and with said inner end having second means deflectable inward for insertion through a panel opening of diameter less than said inner end outside diameter, and
- with the axial distance between said washer first means and the remote end of said second means being greater than the length of said screw first threaded shaft section such that said second means can be deflected inward and pass through the panel opening while said screw first threaded shaft section is within said washer screw receiving passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.