Clip nuts
OwnerJacques Gauroninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metal nut (N) is held by a plastic clip-body (12). The clip-body (12) has a first arm, a second arm and an open end that includes a cam section for camming a member into the open end. It also includes an annular locator wall that extends upwardly from the second arm of the clip-body. The upper end of this locator wall is formed to slope upwardly as it extends inwardly from the open end of the clip-body. The sloping upper end of the locator wall helps to cam the member into the clip-body. The first arm has a transverse end section (15) and sidewalls that extend upwardly from the first arm between the end section (15) and the free end of the first arm.
Claims22
In a clip nut comprising a clip-body having a first arm with first and second ends, a second arm with first and second ends, an end wall connecting the second end of the first arm to the second end of the second arm, and forming a closed end for said clip-body, with the opposite end of the clip-body being open, a pair of sidewalls projecting upwardly from the first arm and including a first pair of aligned openings, and a second pair of aligned openings in the first ends of the first and second arms;
- and
- a nut having a base, a tubular body extending upwardly from the base and including an internally threaded central opening, said base including a pair of tabs projecting radially outwardly from it on diametrically opposite locations on said base;
- wherein the base of the nut sets on the first arm between the sidewalls and the tabs on the nut extend through the first pair of aligned openings and position the opening in said tubular body in substantial coaxially alignment with the second pair of aligned openings, wherein in use a member is received between the first and second arms and a bolt is inserted first through the opening in the second arm, then through the member, and is then screwed into the threaded central opening and the improvement comprising:
- said clip-body being constructed from plastic and including a transverse hinge section in the first arm closely adjacent where the first arm meets the end wall, and wherein the sidewalls extend upwardly from the first arm substantially throughout the full extent of the first arm between the hinge section and the open end of the clip-body, and wherein the sidewalls stiffen the first arm and substantially restrict bending of the first arm to the hinge section region of the first arm when the screw is tightened;
- and
- wherein said first arm includes a pair of laterally extending fences on opposite sides of the opening in the first end of the first arm, and the base of the nut has end edges that are substantially parallel to the fences, and the width of the base of the nut between the end surfaces is smaller than the distance between the two fences.
In a clip nut comprising:
- a plastic clip-body having a first arm with first and second ends, a second arm with first and second ends, an end wall connecting the second end of the first arm to the second end of the second arm, and forming a closed end for said clip-body, with the opposite end of the clip-body being open, a pair of sidewalls projecting upwardly from the first arm and including a first pair of aligned openings, and a second pair of aligned openings in the first ends of the first and second arms;
- and
- a nut having a base, a tubular body extending upwardly from the base and including an internally threaded central opening, said base including a pair of tabs projecting radially outwardly from it on diametrically opposite locations on said base;
- wherein the base of the nut sets on the first arm between the sidewalls and the tabs on the nut extend through the first pair of aligned openings and position the opening in said tubular body in substantial coaxially alignment with the second pair of aligned openings;
- wherein in use a member is received between the first and second arms and a bolt is inserted first through the opening in the second arm, then through the member, and is then screwed into the threaded central opening;
- wherein said first arm includes a pair of longitudinally spaced apart, laterally extending fences, in the first end of the first arm, with the opening in the first end of the first arm being between the fences,
- wherein the base of the nut has end edges that are substantially parallel to the fences, and the width of the base of the nut between the end surfaces is smaller than the distance between the two fences;
- and
- wherein the base of the nut includes side edges that are spaced apart a distance smaller than the spacing across the clip-body between the sidewalls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.