Caged nut assembly

A caged nut assembly comprising:

• a fastener body comprised of a generally planar base having generally planar upper and lower surfaces, a stem extending from the upper surface of the base, and a threaded bore extending through the base and into the stem;
• a retainer for generally confining said fastener body while permitting a limited range of movement of said fastener body in at least one planar direction, said retainer comprising a generally planar base having a cutout therein sized and located to permit access, through the base of said retainer, to the bore of said fastener body within the range of planar movement of said fastener body within said retainer, said retainer further comprising a pair of legs extending from the base, at least a portion of the legs being bent to overlie at least a portion of the upper surface of said fastener body such that vertical movement is generally restricted, the legs having cutouts therein sized and located to permit the stem of said fastener body to pass therethrough within the range of planar movement of said fastener body within said retainer;
• a frame having a channel therein adapted to receive said retainer, said channel having at least one pair of opposing notches therealong;
• a detent extending from each of the legs of said retainer, said detents being located along a periphery of the cutouts in the legs and being sized and shaped to correspond to the at least one pair of opposing notches in the channel of the frame, the legs of said fastener having a space therebetween and being biased toward a normal position, but being movable against the bias toward each other such that as said retainer is forced into the channel of the frame, the legs are moved against the bias toward each other until said detents are positioned adjacent to the notches in the channel, at which point the legs are biased away from each other and said detents are biased into the at least one pair of notches, thereby securing said retainer in position within the channel;
• and
• said legs and said detents being movable against said bias and said retainer being movable within the channel in the frame when a sufficient force is applied to said fastener body.

A female fastener assembly comprising:

• a frame having an outer wall and an inner wall defining a channel therebetween, the outer wall and the inner wall having slots passing therethrough for substantially the length of the channel, the slots having an open insert end and a closed termination end, the slot of the inner wall having, proximate to the insert end, a notch on each side of the slot;
• and
• a caged nut assembly comprising:
• a fastener body having a female connector therein;
• a retainer for encaging said fastener body, said retainer providing a limited range of movement of said fastener body in at least one direction, and having cutouts sized and adapted to allow access to the female connector within the range of movement of said fastener body;
• a pair of detents extending from a surface of said retainer, said detents sized and shaped to correspond to the notches in the channel of the frame, said detents being biased toward a normal position, but being movable against the bias such that as said caged nut assembly is forced into the channel of the frame, said detents are moved against the bias until said detents are positioned adjacent to the notches in the channel, at which point said detents are biased into the notches, thereby securing said caged nut assembly in position within the channel;
• and
• said detents being movable against said bias and said retainer being movable within the channel toward the termination end thereof when a sufficient force is applied to said fastener body.