Self-tightening fastening system

A device for fastening two structures together, the device comprising:

• a male component having a head portion and a neck portion;
• a female component for receiving the male component, the female component comprising:
• a housing comprising an end face and a sidewall defining a cavity having a longitudinal axis, the sidewall having an interior surface and the end face having an inside surface and an inlet aperture for receiving the male component along an insertion axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;
• a retaining mechanism extending from the interior surface of the sidewall of the housing into the cavity of the housing and having a retaining surface for engagement with a movable member;
• a movable member rotatably enclosed within the cavity of the housing and rotated about a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis between an unlocked position and a locked position for retaining the male component within the cavity, the moveable member comprising an arcuate slot axially aligned with the inlet aperture and sized for receiving the head portion of the male component in the unlocked position and retaining the neck portion of the male component within the slot in the locked position, the movable member further comprising an axially projecting contact surface which releasably interlocks with the retaining surface to retain the moveable member in the unlocked position and wherein, upon insertion of the male component into the female device while the moveable member is in the unlocked position, the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface;
• and
• an energy-storing mechanism enclosed within the cavity of the housing for rotatably biasing the movable member toward the locked position, wherein the retaining mechanism exerts compressive force on the energy-storing mechanism in the unlocked position such that the energy-storing mechanism is compressed to store energy to rotate the moveable member from the unlocked to the locked position, and wherein when the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface, the stored energy in the energy-storing mechanism is released, rotating the movable member from the unlocked to the locked position.

A fastening device for fastening first and second structures together, the fastening device comprising:

• a first structure having a side surface and a width end perpendicular to the side surface;
• a second structure having a side surface and a width end perpendicular to the side surface;
• a male component integrated in and perpendicular to the width end of the first structure;
• a female component integrated with the second structure wherein the female component is positioned in the side surface of the second structure near the width end of the second structure for receiving the male component when the first and second structures are positioned perpendicular to one another, the female component being flush or countersunk with the side surface of the second structure;
• the female component comprising:
• a housing comprising an end face and a sidewall defining a cavity having a longitudinal axis, the sidewall having an interior surface and the end face having an inside surface and an inlet aperture for receiving the male component along an insertion axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;
• a retaining mechanism extending from the interior surface of the sidewall of the housing into the cavity of the housing and having a retaining surface for engagement with a movable member;
• a movable member rotatably enclosed within the cavity of the housing and rotated about a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis between an unlocked position and a locked position for retaining the male component within the cavity, the moveable member comprising an arcuate slot axially aligned with the inlet aperture for receiving the male component in the unlocked position and retaining the male component within the slot in the locked position, the movable member further comprising an axially projecting contact surface which releasably interlocks with the retaining surface to retain the moveable member in the unlocked position and wherein, upon insertion of the male component into the female device while the moveable member is in the unlocked position, the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface;
• and
• an energy-storing mechanism enclosed within the cavity of the housing for rotatably biasing the movable member toward the locked position, wherein the retaining mechanism exerts compressive force on the energy-storing mechanism in the unlocked position such that the energy-storing mechanism is compressed to store energy to rotate the moveable member from the unlocked to the locked position, and wherein when the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface, the stored energy in the energy-storing mechanism is released, rotating the movable member from the unlocked to the locked position.

A fastening device for fastening first and second structures together, the fastening device comprising:

• a first structure having a side surface and a width end perpendicular to the side surface;
• a second structure having a side surface and a width end perpendicular to the side surface;
• a male component integrated in and perpendicular to the width end of the first structure, wherein the male component has a head portion and a neck portion;
• a female component integrated with the second structure wherein the female component is positioned in the side surface of the second structure near the width end of the second structure for receiving the male component when the first and second structures are positioned perpendicular to one another, the female component being flush or countersunk with the side surface of the second structure;
• the female component comprising:
• a housing comprising an end face and a sidewall defining a cavity having a longitudinal axis, the sidewall having an interior surface and the end face having an inside surface and an inlet aperture for receiving the male component along an insertion axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;
• a retaining mechanism extending from the interior surface of the sidewall of the housing into the cavity of the housing and having a retaining surface for engagement with a movable member;
• a movable member rotatably enclosed within the cavity of the housing and rotated about a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis between an unlocked position and a locked position for retaining the male component within the cavity, the moveable member comprising an arcuate slot axially aligned with the inlet aperture and sized for receiving the head portion of the male component in the unlocked position and retaining the neck portion of the male component within the slot in the locked position, the movable member further comprising an axially projecting contact surface which releasably interlocks with the retaining surface to retain the moveable member in the unlocked position and wherein, upon insertion of the male component into the female device while the moveable member is in the unlocked position, the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface;
• and
• an energy-storing mechanism enclosed within the cavity of the housing for rotatably biasing the movable member toward the locked position, wherein the retaining mechanism exerts compressive force on the energy-storing mechanism in the unlocked position such that the energy-storing mechanism is compressed to store energy to rotate the moveable member from the unlocked to the locked position, and wherein when the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface, the stored energy in the energy-storing mechanism is released, rotating the movable member from the unlocked to the locked position.

A self-fastening structure comprising:

• a first structure;
• a second structure;
• a male component integrated in the first structure;
• a female component integrated in the second structure flush or countersunk with a side surface of the second structure;
• the female component comprising:
• a housing comprising an end face and a sidewall defining a cavity having a longitudinal axis, the sidewall having an interior surface and the end face having an inside surface and an inlet aperture for receiving the male component along an insertion axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;
• a retaining mechanism extending from the interior surface of the sidewall of the housing into the cavity of the housing and having a retaining surface for engagement with a movable member;
• a movable member rotatably enclosed within the cavity of the housing and rotated about a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis between an unlocked position and a locked position for retaining the male component within the cavity, the moveable member comprising an arcuate slot axially aligned with the inlet aperture for receiving the male component in the unlocked position and retaining the male component within the slot in the locked position, the movable member further comprising an axially projecting contact surface which releasably interlocks with the retaining surface to retain the moveable member in the unlocked position and wherein, upon insertion of the male component into the female device while the moveable member is in the unlocked position, the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface;
• and
• an energy-storing mechanism enclosed within the cavity of the housing for rotatably biasing the movable member toward the locked position, wherein the retaining mechanism exerts compressive force on the energy-storing mechanism in the unlocked position such that the energy-storing mechanism is compressed to store energy to rotate the moveable member from the unlocked to the locked position, and wherein when the retaining surface is disengaged from the contact surface by axial movement of the retaining surface relative to the contact surface, the stored energy in the energy-storing mechanism is released, rotating the movable member from the unlocked to the locked position.