Screw lock

Abstract

A screw lock fastener may have high retention and be made of a non-metallic material to avoid corrosion issues, particularly when used with stainless steel parts. In some embodiments, a screw lock may be used with a self-tapping screw. The screw lock can be repeatedly used by unscrewing the self-tapping screw. The screw lock may also include a seal having a waterproof feature.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 366,387, filed on June 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a fastener. More specifically, the fastener can provide high holding force and does not need to be made of steel material to avoid corrosion problems. Background Art

[0004] Many fasteners are made of metal materials for better strength and durability. For example, in the automotive industry, metal fasteners, such as fasteners made of stainless steel materials, have been widely used to hold components together to solve vehicle collision problems. However, in some environments, oil, humidity and heat can cause corrosion problems in components and fasteners, especially when stainless steel parts are used. Steel fasteners, such as galvanized spring steel fasteners, may rust within a few weeks when used to fasten stainless steel parts. Due to the hardness of stainless steel, stainless steel fasteners are expensive and difficult to mass produce. Snap-in fasteners made of stainless steel do not provide ideal insertion or extraction force performance due to their stiffness. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure generally relates to a non-metallic screw lock fastener that provides high holding force. More specifically, various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a non-metallic screw lock that can fasten stainless steel components of a vehicle.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a fastener comprising a lock extending between a front end of the fastener and a rear end of the fastener. The lock comprises a body, a disk at the rear end, a head at the front end, and two blocks extending from opposite sides of the body of the lock near the rear end. The fastener also includes a retainer disposed on the lock. The retainer includes a cavity extending between two openings on opposite sides of the retainer. The retainer also includes one or more snap-fit ​​joints disposed on an outer surface of the retainer and near the rear end and configured to fasten a first portion. The retainer also includes a screw configured to pass through the second portion and enter the body of the lock. The body of the lock is substantially located within the cavity of the retainer. Rotating the screw in a first direction causes the lock to rotate and causes the two blocks to extend from the opening of the retainer, thereby locking the first portion and the second portion between the two blocks and the screw.

[0007] A variation on the above aspect is where the retainer has a substantially rectangular profile.

[0008] A variation of the above aspect further includes a seal configured to extend over a disk of the lock.

[0009] A variation of the above aspect is where the seal is sized and shaped to extend radially from a disk of the lock to create a seal between the first portion and the second portion.

[0010] A variation of the above aspect is where the retainer further comprises two or more arms configured to receive and engage a head of the lock to retain the lock within the retainer.

[0011] A variation of the above aspect is where the head of the lock is tapered so that the head of the lock can move through two or more arms of the retainer and is prevented from moving rearwardly.

[0012] A variation of the above aspect is wherein the lock comprises nylon and fiberglass.

[0013] A variation of the above aspect is where the retainer comprises plastic.

[0014] A variation on the above aspect is where the seal comprises rubber.

[0015] A variation on the above aspect is wherein the screw comprises a self-tapping screw.

[0016] A variation of the above aspect is wherein the fastener is waterproof.

[0017] A variation of the above aspect is where rotating the screw in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the lock to rotate and causes the two pieces of the lock to enter the cavity of the retainer.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a fastener comprising a lock and a retainer. The lock comprises a body, a disk extending radially from a first end of the body, and one or more blocks extending from opposite sides of the body. The retainer is disposed above the lock, the retainer comprising a cavity extending between two openings on opposite sides of the retainer. The retainer also comprises a screw configured to pass through a second portion and into the body of the lock. Rotating the screw in a first direction causes the lock to rotate and causes one or more blocks to extend from the opening of the retainer, thereby securing the first portion between the disk and the one or more blocks, and securing the second portion between the disk and the screw of the lock.

[0019] A variation of the above aspect is wherein the retainer further comprises one or more snap-fit ​​fittings disposed on an outer surface of the retainer and configured to secure the first portion.

[0020] A variation on the above aspect is where the retainer has a substantially rectangular profile.

[0021] A variation of the above aspect is where the body of the lock is located substantially within the cavity of the retainer.

[0022] A variation of the above aspect is where one or more blocks of the lock are adjacent to the disk of the lock,

[0023] A variation of the above aspect further includes a seal sized and shaped to extend radially from the disk of the lock and create a seal between the first portion and the second portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements, and wherein:

[0025] Figure 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a screw lock in a locked position.

[0026] Figure 1B is in unlocked position Figure 1A Perspective view of the screw lock in the.

[0027] Figure 2 is in unlocked position Figure 1A Exploded view of the screw lock in the .

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 1A Top view of the screw lock in the .

[0029] Figure 4A is in unlocked position Figure 1A Side view of the screw lock in the .

[0030] Figure 4B It is along Figure 4A Cross-sectional view of the screw lock taken along line AA in FIG.

[0031] Figure 5A is in unlocked position Figure 1A Front view of the screw lock in the.

[0032] Figure 5B It is along Figure 5A Cross-sectional view of the screw lock taken along line BB in FIG.

[0033] Figure 5C It is along Figure 5A Cross-sectional view of the screw lock taken along line CC in FIG.

[0034] Fig. 6A To be installed on the first panel Figure 1A Side perspective view of the screw lock in the.

[0035] Figure 6B Is installed in Fig. 6AOn the first panel of Fig. 6A Side perspective view of the screw lock in the.

[0036] Fig. 7A It is inverted and assembled with the first panel to be installed, the second panel and self-tapping screws Figure 1A Perspective view of the screw lock in the.

[0037] Figure 7B It is installed with self-tapping screws Fig. 7A A perspective view of an assembly in which is illustrated the torque that can be applied to a self-tapping screw to lock the screw lock.

[0038] Figure 7C yes Figure 7B A perspective view of the assembly in which the screw lock is in the locked position.

[0039] Figure 8 It is along Figure 4A A side cross-sectional view of the assembly with the first panel, the second panel and the self-tapping screws in a locked position, taken in the plane of the page in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In general, one or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to screw lock fasteners. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a screw lock fastener that can be made of non-metallic materials and provide high holding force (e.g., 1000-2000N). In other embodiments, the screw lock fastener can be used for stainless steel parts to avoid corrosion problems (e.g., rust) of metal fasteners. The screw lock can also include a seal to provide a waterproof fastening. The screw lock can illustratively include three components, namely a lock, a retainer, and a seal.

[0041] Figure 1A-1B 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a screw lock 100, which includes a lock 1, a retainer 2, and a seal 3. The lock 1 can extend between a front end 10 and a rear end 30. The lock 1 can include a head 11 located at the front end 10 and a disk 12 located at the rear end 30, such as Figure 3 The retainer 2 can retain the lock 1 in the cavity 20 of the retainer. In some embodiments, the lock 1 can be substantially retained in the retainer 2, except for the disk 12 and the head 11 (see Figure 4B ). The cavity 20 may extend between opposite sides of the retainer 2 and have openings on opposite sides of the retainer 2. In some embodiments, the retainer 2 may retain the lock 1 by having two or more arms 25 configured to engage with the head 11 of the lock 1 in the delivery condition. Figure 1A-1BAs shown, the head 11 may be tapered, wherein the tip of the head 11 may be smaller to allow the head 11 to slide through two or more arms 25. The head 11 may also include a flange 15 extending around the head 11 so that after the head 11 passes through the two or more arms 25, the flange 15 may prevent the head 11 from moving relative to the two or more arms 25 and prevent the lock 1 from leaving the retainer 2.

[0042] The lock 1 may include two blocks extending from opposite sides of the lock 1, such as Figure 2 In some embodiments, rotating the lock 1 within the cavity 20 of the holder 2 may allow the blocks 13 and 14 to extend from the openings of the cavity 20. The openings may be offset from each other on opposite sides of the holder 2 so that the blocks 13 and 14 may extend from opposite sides of the holder 2 and rotate. Figure 1A As shown, the screw lock 100 in the locked position can make the block 13 extend from one side of the retainer 2 and stop on the wall 23 of the retainer 2. Accordingly, the screw lock 100 can have a wall 24 configured to stop the block 14 on the opposite side of the retainer 2 (see Figure 4A ). In some embodiments, the retainer 2 may include a platform 26 located at the rear end 30. When the screw lock 100 is in the unlocked position, the blocks 13 and 14 may be substantially located within the retainer 2, such as Figure 4B and Figure 5B When the screw lock 100 is in the locked position, at least one component can be fastened between the protruding blocks 13 and 14 and the platform 26, such as Figure 7C and Figure 8 shown.

[0043] In some embodiments, Figure 2-Figure 3 As shown, the screw lock 100 may include a seal 3 that may be configured to wrap a disk 12 of the lock 1. The disk 12 may be configured to be rotatable relative to the seal 3 within the seal 3. In some embodiments, the screw lock 100 may also include snap-fit ​​joints 21 and 22 that are offset from each other and are disposed on opposite sides of the retainer 2, such as Figure 4A Illustratively, the screw lock 100 may be installed on a first portion to be fastened to a second portion. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B An embodiment of a screw lock 100 is shown in which the first part 4 can be fastened between the rear end 30 of the screw lock 100 and the snap joints 21 and 22. The first part 4 can be prepared with a hole 40 to allow the retainer to pass through in the x direction, such as Fig. 6A In the embodiment shown, both the retainer 2 and the aperture 40 may be substantially rectangular in outline. Figure 6BIt is shown that the first part 4 can be fixed between the platform 26 of the holder 2 and the snap joint 22 of the holder 2. So that the screw lock 100 can be installed on the first part 4. For example, in the automotive industry, the screw lock can be pre-installed on the trim panel of the vehicle at the body-in-white (BIW) stage before assembly.

[0044] In some embodiments, the screw lock can be locked in place with a screw (e.g., a stainless steel self-tapping screw). Figure 7A-7C As shown. For example, the screw lock can be used with self-tapping screws to attach a body panel to a trim panel of a vehicle. After the screw lock 100 is installed on the first part 4, the second part 5 can be contacted with the seal 3 so that the hole 51 on the second plate 5 and the hole 16 on the disk 12 are aligned (see Figure 3 ).like Fig. 7A As shown, the self-tapping screw 6 can pass through the hole 51 of the second plate 5 and the hole 16 on the disk 12 into the lock 1, so that the second plate 5 can be fastened between the self-tapping screw 6 and the seal 3. Then, a torque can be applied to the self-tapping screw 6 to rotate the self-tapping screw 6 in a first direction (e.g., clockwise), thereby further tightening the second part and rotating the lock 1 in the first direction (e.g., clockwise), as shown in FIG. Figure 7B The torque may cause the lock 1 to rotate a certain number of degrees (e.g., 90 degrees) and to extend out of the cavity 20 of the retainer 2 until the blocks 13 and 14 stop at the walls 23 and 24 (see Figure 4A ).exist Figure 7C In the locked position shown, the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 can be fastened between the self-tapping screw 6 and the blocks 13 and 14. In addition, in some embodiments, the self-tapping screw 6 can be unscrewed and removed from the screw lock so that the screw lock can be reused. Illustratively, the self-tapping screw 6 can be removed by rotating the self-tapping screw 6 together with the lock 1 in a second direction opposite to the first direction (e.g., counterclockwise). For example, by unscrewing and removing the self-tapping screw, the body panel of the vehicle attached by the screw lock can be removed. The decorative panel installed with the screw lock can be reused and fixed with the same body panel or another body panel.

[0045] When fastening stainless steel parts, metal materials will quickly corrode and rust, especially in a humid, oily and high temperature environment. In some embodiments, the various parts of the screw lock can be made of non-metallic materials, including plastics, polyamides, nylons, glass fiber reinforced polyamides (e.g., PA6-GF30), polyacrylamides, glass epoxy laminates (e.g., G10 / FR-4), thermoplastics, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyoxymethylene (POM), TPV, etc. For example, the lock 1 can be made of a non-metallic material (e.g., PA6-GF30) that can provide strength so that when the screw lock 100 is in the locked position, blocks 13 and 14 can provide a high holding force (e.g., 1000N-2000N) (see Figure 7C The holder 2 can be made of a less rigid material (eg PA66) so that no special tools are required to deform the snap-fit ​​joints 21 and 22 and insert the screw lock 100 into the hole 40 of the first plate 4 (see Figure 6A-6B ). Finally, the seal can be made of an elastic material (e.g., TPV) to provide waterproofing. Figure 8 As shown, seal 3 may prevent moisture from a wet environment 200 (eg, outside) from passing through line DD and entering a dry environment 300 (eg, inside).

[0046] The above disclosure is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed or to the specific field of use. Therefore, it is contemplated that various alternative embodiments and / or modifications to the present disclosure (whether explicitly described or implied herein) are possible in light of the present disclosure. Having thus described the embodiments of the present disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is limited only by the claims.

[0047] In the above description, the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various embodiments disclosed herein may be modified or otherwise implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the description should be regarded as illustrative and is intended to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the various embodiments of the disclosed glove box actuation assembly. It should be understood that the disclosed forms shown and described herein will be regarded as representative embodiments. Equivalent elements, materials, processes or steps may replace those representatively shown and described herein. In addition, certain features of the present disclosure may be used independently of the use of other features, all of which are clear to those skilled in the art after benefiting from the description of the present disclosure. Expressions such as "including", "comprising", "incorporating", "consisting of", "having", "is" and the like used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be interpreted in a non-exclusive manner, i.e., allowing for the presence of items, components or elements that are not explicitly described. References to the singular should also be interpreted as being related to the plural.

[0048] In addition, various embodiments disclosed herein should be considered as having illustrative and explanatory meanings, and should never be interpreted as limitations to the present disclosure.All merged references (e.g., attachment, attachment, coupling, connection, etc.) are only used to help readers understand the present disclosure, and will not cause restrictions, particularly the position, orientation or use restrictions of the system and / or method disclosed herein. Therefore, merged references (if any) should be interpreted broadly. In addition, this merged reference does not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected to each other. In addition, all numerical terms (such as but not limited to "first", "second", "third", "primary", "minor", "primary" or any other common and / or numerical terms) should also be considered only as identifiers, to help readers understand the various elements, embodiments, variations and / or modifications of the present disclosure, and will not produce any restrictions, particularly about any element, embodiment, variation and / or modification relative to the order or preference of another element, embodiment, variation and / or modification.

[0049] It will also be understood that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings / diagrams may also be implemented in a more separate or integrated manner, or in some cases even removed or rendered inoperable, if useful depending on the particular application.

Claims

1. A fastener, comprising: a lock extending between a front end of the fastener and a rear end of the fastener, the lock comprising a body, a disk at the rear end, a head at the front end, and two blocks extending from opposite sides of the body of the lock proximate the rear end; A retainer is arranged on the lock, and the retainer comprises: a cavity extending between two openings on opposite sides of the retainer, and one or more snap-fit ​​connectors disposed on an outer surface of the retainer proximate the rear end and configured to secure the first portion; and a screw configured to pass through the second portion and into the body of the lock; wherein the body of the lock is located substantially within the cavity of the retainer, and Wherein rotating the screw in a first direction causes the lock to rotate and causes the two blocks to extend from the opening of the retainer, thereby locking the first part and the second part between the two blocks and the screw.

2. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the retainer has a substantially rectangular profile.

3. The fastener of claim 1, further comprising a seal configured to extend over the disk of the lock.

4. The fastener of claim 3, wherein the seal is sized and shaped to extend radially from the disk of the lock to create a seal between the first portion and the second portion.

5. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the retainer further comprises two or more arms configured to receive and engage the head of the lock to retain the lock within the retainer.

6. The fastener of claim 5, wherein the head of the lock is tapered so that the head of the lock can move past the two or more arms of the retainer and is prevented from moving rearwardly.

7. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises nylon and fiberglass.

8. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the retainer comprises plastic.

9. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises rubber.

10. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the screw comprises a self-tapping screw.

11. The fastener of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is waterproof.

12. The fastener of claim 1, wherein rotating the screw in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the lock to rotate and causes the two blocks of the lock to enter the cavity of the retainer.

13. A fastener comprising: a lock including a body, a disk extending radially from a first end of the body, and one or more blocks extending from opposite sides of the body; A retainer is arranged on the lock, and the retainer comprises: a cavity extending between the two openings on opposite sides of the retainer; and a screw configured to pass through the second portion and into the body of the lock; Wherein rotating the screw in a first direction causes the lock to rotate and causes the one or more blocks to extend from the opening of the retainer, thereby securing the first portion between the disk and the one or more blocks and securing the second portion between the disk of the lock and the screw.

14. The fastener of claim 13, wherein the retainer further comprises one or more snap-fit ​​fittings disposed on an outer surface of the retainer and configured to secure the first portion.

15. The fastener of claim 13, wherein the retainer has a substantially rectangular profile.

16. The fastener of claim 13, wherein the body of the lock is located substantially within the cavity of the retainer.

17. The fastener of claim 13, wherein the one or more blocks of the lock are proximate to the disk of the lock.

18. The fastener of claim 13, further comprising a seal sized and shaped to extend radially from the disk of the lock and create a seal between the first portion and the second portion.

19. The fastener of claim 13, wherein the second end of the body includes a head that is tapered so that the head of the lock can move past two or more arms on the retainer and is prevented from moving rearwardly.

20. The fastener of claim 13, wherein rotating the screw in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the lock to rotate and causes the two blocks of the lock to enter the cavity of the retainer.

Images