Panel fastener

Abstract

A panel fastener has a casing, a hook, and cam assembly. The hook and cam assembly has a metallic hook and a cam assembly. The hook has a round cam mounting hole and two opposing side surfaces. The cam assembly has a round cam plate that includes a central camming portion conforming with the cam mounting hole. The cam plate also has an offset cam shaft formed with a socket. The cam assembly also has a metal spring plate coupled to the cam plate. The spring plate has two, peripheral wiper portions and a bearing portion positioned between the two wiper portions to form two clearing gaps therebetween. The wiper portions are positioned to scrape debris from the hook during rotation of the spring plate.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable.

[0002] STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0003] Not applicable.

[0004] THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

[0005] Not applicable.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0006] This invention relates generally to panel fasteners which are used to fasten large, insulated panels together in constructing the walls, floors and ceilings of refrigerated spaces.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Commercial walk-in coolers, like those commonly found in convenience stores and commercial food storage facilities such as supermarkets, are typically constructed of insulating wall, ceiling and floor panels that are fastened snugly together. The panel ends are shaped to fit together in tongue and groove fashion and are provided with latch type fasteners for drawing and holding adjacent panels together. The latches themselves commonly comprise a hook and cam assembly that is mounted to one panel for latching engagement with a pin that is mounted to an adjacent panel.

[0008] There are two main types of panel fasteners, nail-in-place and winged. Both types have a casing with two sidewalls formed with an annular opening defined by a boss with a curved or curved lip. The fastener has a cam with a shaft journaled in the boss and a hook mounted in camming engagement with it. Examples of these fasteners are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,784,240 and 3,671,006, respectively.

[0009] Winged and nail-ion-place fasteners are usually mounted by being foamed in place using methods similar to the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,924. A mounting foam is injected inside the panel. As it hardens the fasteners become secured in place. However, the hardened mounting foam may accidentally get sprayed onto or otherwise deposited upon the surface of the hook engaging the camming system of the fastener. This hardened foam upon the hook may cause the hook to bind or prevent engagement as the hook is rotated into position.

[0010] It thus is seen that a need has long existed for a panel fastener hook and cam assembly that is resistant to problems associated with foaming material contacting the rotating hook of the panel fastener. Accordingly, it is to the provision of such that this invention is primarily directed.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A panel fastener for insulated panels comprising a pair of sidewalls each having a boss therethrough, a hook having a round cam mounting hole therethrough and a catch extending past the pair of sidewalls, and a cam assembly coupled to the hook, the cam assembly having a cam plate with a camming portion positioned within the round cam engagement hole and a spring plate coupled to the cam plate. The spring plate has two peripheral debris wiper portions and a peripheral bearing portion positioned between the two peripheral debris wiper portions. The debris wiper portions are positioned to scrape the hook during rotation of the spring plate. The peripheral bearing portion bears upon the hook about the round cam mounting hole. With this construction, contact between the spring plate and the hook causes frictional contact sufficient to rotate the hook through rotation of the cam assembly, and whereby the debris wiper portions clear debris from the hook as the cam assembly is rotated relative to the hook.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] So that the manner in which the present inventions can be better understood, certain illustrations, charts and / or flow charts are appended hereto. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only selected embodiments of the inventions and are therefore not to be considered limiting of scope, for the inventions may admit to other equally effective embodiments and applications. The reference numbering between drawing figures are not necessarily consistent.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a panel fastener that embodies principles of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hook assembly portion of the panel fastener of FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a top view of the hook assembly portion of the panel fastener of FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective, exploded view of the hook assembly portion of the panel fastener of FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

[0017] With reference next to the drawings, there is shown a nail-in-place type panel fastener 20, the nail-in-place type panel fastener 20 is similar in construction and cooperatively associated with a corresponding pin assembly fastener shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,863,143 which is specifically included herein by reference in its entirety. The panel fastener may be of any conventional type. The panel fastener 20 is in the form having a hook and cam assembly 21.

[0018] The panel fastener 20 has a metallic housing or casing 22 comprised of two side walls 24 joined together. Each side wall has a flange 25. Each side wall 24 is formed with a boss or boss hole 27. It should be understood that the term boss as used herein is intended to denote a typical boss structure as well as simply a mounting hole or the like.

[0019] The hook and cam assembly 21 also has a metallic hook 32 and a cam assembly 33 coupled in camming engagement with the hook 32 for rotational movement of the hook 32. The hook 32 has a catch end 34 that extends outwardly from the casing 22. The hook 32 has a round cam mounting hole 35 and two opposing side surfaces 36. A hard stop 37 extends outwardly from one side surface 36 adjacent the cam mounting hole 35.

[0020] The cam assembly 33 has a round cam or cam plate 39 that includes a central camming portion 40 and a peripheral rim or flange 41 extending about the central camming portion 40. The central camming portion 40 is configured to conform with and fit within cam mounting hole 35 of the hook 32. The cam plate 39 also has an offset cam shaft 42 extending from both sides of the cam plate 39 that is configured to pass through the boss holes 27 of the casing 22. The cam shaft 42 is formed with a socket 45 in which a hand wrench may be inserted. Two deformable mounting studs 43 extend from an inward side surface 44 of the camming portion 40. The peripheral rim 41 is configured to slidably bear against the side surface 36 of the hook 32.

[0021] The cam assembly 33 also has a metal spring plate 46 that is coupled to the cam plate 39 so as to engageably sandwich the hook 32 therebetween. The spring plate 46 has an offset cam shaft mounting hole 47 and two mounting stud mounting holes 48 configured to receive the mounting studs 43 of the cam plate 39 and fix the position of the spring plate 46 with the deformation of the mounting studs 43 against the spring plate 46 during the manufacturing process. The spring plate 46 has two, peripheral wipers or wiper portions 50 and a bearing portion 51 positioned between the two wiper portions 50. The positioning of the wiper portions 50 and bearing portion 51 produces two clearing gaps 52 therebetween. The bearing portion 51 is indented (indentation 53) on the exterior side so as to produce a bulge 54 on the opposite, interior side to insure a good contact between the bearing portion 51 of the spring plate 46, especially the bulge 54, and the side surface 36 of the hook 32.

[0022] In use, with the panel fastener 20 is mounted to a foam panel, the hook and cam assembly 21 can be turned with a socket wrench to rotate and engage the hook 32 with a pin P panel fastener PN in an adjacent panel. Further rotation of the hook and cam assembly 21 drives the catch end 33 of the hook 32 inwardly towards the socket 45, bringing the hook's catch end 33 forcefully against the pin in the adjacent panel to snug the two foam panel together. The rotation of the hook and cam assembly 21 causes the hook 32 to move against or away from the pin of the other panel depending on its direction of rotation. The offsetting position of the cam shaft 42 causes the lateral movement of the hook 32 as the cam shaft 42 is rotated with the socket wrench to pull the two foam panels towards each other.

[0023] The purpose of the wiper portions 50 is to clear away and / or remove debris, such as the hardened panel mounting foam, from the side surfaces 36 of the hook 32. As the cam assembly 33 is rotated relative to the hook 32 the wiper portions 51 scrape any debris (foam) from the side surfaces 36 of the hook 32 prior to the bearing portion 51 sliding upon the side surfaces 36 of the hook 32. The exterior or leading edge 56 of one wiper portion 50 and the trailing edge 57 along clearing gap 52 of the other wiper portion 50 scrapes the debris off the side surfaces 36 while the cam assembly 33 is moved in one direction, and visa-versa when the cam assembly 33 is moved in the opposite direction. As such, any mounting foam or other debris may be removed from the side surface 36 of the hook 32 in the path of the bearing portion 51 to ensure a proper camming action and to avoid any binding or interference between the cam assembly 33 and the hook 32. The clearing gaps 52 form the trailing edge 57 as well as providing a space to enable the debris to pass through during the scraping process of the wiper portions 50.

[0024] The movement of the cam assembly 33 is limited by the abutment of the leading edges 56 of the wiper portions 50 against the hard stop 37. This limitation in movement is to prevent over rotation of the cam assembly 33 which may cause damage to the panel fastener 20 or accidentally cause the hook to move in reverse to the intended direction of the hook 32 with such an over rotation.

[0025] It is thus seen that a panel fastener is now provided that includes a cam assembly that is less susceptible to mis-operation due to foam or other debris. Although the invention has been shown and described in its preferred form, it should be understood that modifications and variations may be made thereto without departure from its spirit and scope as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A panel fastener for insulated panels comprising:a pair of sidewalls each having a boss therethrough;a hook having a round cam mounting hole therethrough and a catch extending past said pair of sidewalls, anda cam assembly coupled to said hook, said cam assembly having a cam plate with a camming portion positioned within said round cam engagement hole and a spring plate coupled to said cam plate, said spring plate having two peripheral debris wiper portions and a peripheral bearing portion positioned between said two peripheral debris wiper portions, said debris wiper portions being positioned to scrape said hook upon rotation of said spring plate, said peripheral bearing portion bearing upon said hook about said round cam mounting hole,whereby contact between the spring plate and the hook causes frictional contact sufficient to rotate the hook through rotation of the cam assembly, and whereby the debris wiper portions clear debris from the hook as the cam assembly is rotated relative to the hook.

2. The panel fastener for insulated panels of claim 1 further comprising a stop extending from said hook, and wherein said spring plate is configured so that said two peripheral debris wiper portions may abut said stop.

3. The panel fastener for insulated panels of claim 1 wherein said cam plate includes a peripheral flange extending from said camming portion and configured to abut said hook about said round cam mounting hole.

4. The panel fastener for insulated panels of claim 1 wherein said peripheral bearing portion includes a bulge extending towards said hook for abutting engagement with said hook.

5. A panel fastener for insulated panels comprising:a casing, anda hook assembly coupled to said casing, said hook assembly including a hook having a cam mounting hole therethrough and a catch, said hook assembly also including a cam assembly coupled to said hook, said cam assembly having a spring plate coupled to said hook for resistive movement of said spring plate relative to said hook, said spring plate having at least one debris wiper portion flush with said hook and a peripheral bearing portion adjacent said at least one debris wiper portion and in abutment with said hook adjacent said cam mounting hole,whereby abutment between the spring plate and the hook causes frictional contact sufficient to rotate the hook through rotation of the cam assembly, and whereby the debris wiper portion clears debris from the surface of the hook in the path of the bearing portion as the cam assembly is rotated relative to the hook.

6. The panel fastener for insulated panels of claim 5 wherein said at least one debris wiper portion comprises two debris wiper portions wherein said peripheral bearing portion is positioned between said two debris wiper portions.

7. The panel fastener for insulated panels of claim 5 further comprising a stop extending from said hook, and wherein said spring plate is configured so that said peripheral debris wiper portion may abut said stop.

8. The panel fastener for insulated panels of claim 5 wherein said cam assembly includes a cam plate coupled to said spring plate, and wherein said cam plate includes a peripheral flange extending from said camming portion and configured to abut said hook about said round cam mounting hole oppositely disposed from said spring plate relative to said hook.

9. The panel fastener for insulated panels of claim 5 wherein said peripheral bearing portion includes a bulge extending towards said hook for abutting engagement with said hook.

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