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AssigneeTermax Corporation
InventorsDaniel James Dickinson, Michael Walter Smith, Lawrence John Conway, Edward Sacha, Paul Lester Clemens, Mark Fleydervish, Richard H. Ducato, Eustathios Vassiliou
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This invention relates to a spring fastener, which comprises engagement springs in opposite sides of the fastener. Each engagement spring has an engagement region comprising a hindrance portion, which increases considerably the removal to insertion force ratio as compared to such ratio in the absence of the hindrance portion, thus permitting very easy insertion with considerably more difficult removal of the fastener from the slot of a panel, which provides an efficient ergonomically balanced removal to insertion force ratio. The hindrance portion comprises ripples or other hindrance elements of unexpectedly minute dimensions for providing this efficient ergonomic force balance.
A spring fastener comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side connected to the second side thereby forming a U-shaped structure having a cavity between the first side and the second side, a bottom portion wherein the first side and the second side are connected, and a top portion, the first side comprising first barbs having first front ends, and a first engagement spring, the first engagement spring connected to the first side in the vicinity of the bottom portion, the second side comprising second barbs second front ends, and a second engagement spring, the second engagement spring connected to the second side in the vicinity of the bottom portion, each of the first and second engagement springs having a recess and a free end in the vicinity of the top portion, each spring also comprising a peak and an engagement region with a hindrance portion between the recess and the peak, the hindrance portion comprising one structure selected from ripple, side rib, upward solid bent extension parallel to the peak and the recess, knurled region, bent teeth, each having a depth, and a combination thereof, and providing increased removal force, when the fastener is pulled by a rib of a first part engaged to the first and second barbs, after the fastener has been inserted into a slot of a second part, the slot having a slot width and edges on which edges the engagement region is engaged, the increased removal force being due to the hindrance portion, and wherein the fastener can be extracted when pulled by the rib without damage to said fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.