Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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IMPROVED FASTENER ASSEMBLY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a fastener
s assembly for removably securing two adjoining parts together
along flat mating surfaces. More particularly, but not
exclusively, the fastener assembly of the present invention
is for use in fastening flat furniture board pieces together
whereby an article of furniture can be quickly and securely
io assembled and relatively easy to disassemble, if required.
BACKGROUND ART
The fastener assembly as described herein is an
improvement of the fastener assembly as described in related
15 PCT Application No. PCT/CA00/01275 filed on October 25,
2000. Specifically, the fastener assembly as herein-
described is provided with a rotatable cam housing which is
located spaced from the flat mating surfaces at a sufficient
distance to provide easy access to a tool for engagement in
2o a tool engaging head of the cam housing which is disposed in
close fit in a circular bore. Accordingly, the stud of the
present invention is much longer whereby to provide
engagement with the rotatable cam housing and having its
gripping head sections disposed in the dowel bolt hole of
2s the adjoining panel. Not only does the positioning of the
rotatable cam housing provide ease of access to the head
engaging tool, such as a Philip screwdriver, it also does
not weaken the horizontal panel at the mating edge as it is
spaced from the mating edge a sufficient distance not to
3o affect the integrity of the panel body which could be
fabricated of presswood which can easily disintegrate or
break.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A detailed description of the fastener assembly of
the present invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a cross-section view of two
transverse panels interconnected together by the fastener
assembly of the resent invention as hereinshown partly in
section;
FIGURE 2 is a top view, partly fragmented, of
1o Figure l;
FIGURES 3A and 3B are perspective views showing
the construction of the stud and the wedge secured thereto;
FIGURE 4 is a side view of the stud;
FIGURE 5 is a section view along section line
V-V of Figure 4 ;
FIGURE 6 is a side view of the wedge;
FIGURE 7 is a top view of the wedge;
FIGURE 8 is a bottom view of the wedge;
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the wedge;
2o FIGURE 10 is a different side view of the wedge;
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of the rotatable
cam housing;
FIGURE 12 is a section view of the cam housing
showing one of the eccentric shoulders thereof;
FIGURE 13 is a fragmented cross-section view of
two transverse panels illustrating the portion of the
gripping head section and the abutment shoulders; and
FIGURE 14 is a similar view but seen at a
transverse view.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown
generally at 10 the fastener assembly of the present
invention for securing two adjoining parts, herein a
vertical panel 11 to a horizontal panel 12 along flat mating
surfaces 11' and 12' . A circular bore 13 is formed in the
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horizontal panel 12 and spaced from the flat mating surface
12' a sufficient distance not to affect the integrity of the
panel l2.adjacent the mating surface 12'. A dowel bolt hole
14 is formed in the flat mating surface 12' and extends to
s the circular bore 13. An aligned dowel bolt hole 15 is also
formed in the vertical panel 11 and aligned with the dowel
bolt hole 14. These holes are made by a jig, not shown.
As shown in Figure 1, the panels 11 and 12 are
secured together by the fastener assembly 10 and wherein a
to stud 16, having a cam follower head 17, is engaged within a
rotatable cam housing 18. The rotatable cam housing is of
circular cross-section and located in close rotational fit
within the bore 13. The rotatable cam housing 18 is
provided with a tool engaging head 19 having a Philips
15 cavity 20, or other shape cavity, therein for engagement by
a screwdriver or fastening tool (not shown). The rotatable
cam housing has an eccentric slotted cam wall 21 which
engages with the shoulder 17' of the cam follower head 17.
As hereinshown, the bolt has, at its opposite end, a
2o gripping head section 22 which is engageable into the side
wall of the dowel bolt hole 15 whereby to secure both
vertical panels together as will be described later.
As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the stud 16 has an
elongated body portion 23 which has a slot 24 extending
2s therealong. The slot also extends through the gripping head
section 22. The length of the body 23 is determined by the
distance or the spacing between the bore 13 and the mating
surface 12'.
As can be seen from the cross-section view of
3o Figure 5 together with Figure 4, the gripping head section
22 is provided to each side of the slot 24 with a V-shaped
cavity 25 whereby to receive therein a splitting finger 26
of a wedge 27 which is illustrated in Figures 7 to 10. The
free ends of the gripping head sections 22 are also provided
35 with gripping ribs 28 which have a slope projecting sharp
edge 29 for engagement within the side wall of the dowel
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bolt hole 15 when the gripping head is expanded, as shown in
Figure 1, by the wedge.
As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the wedge 27 is
positioned about the elongated body portion 23 by simply
s disposing the body portion 23 in its slot 30. As shown in
Figures 7, 8, 13 and 14, the wedge 27 is in the form of a
sleeve 31 provided with abutment shoulders 32 which are
arcuate thin wedges projecting from the sleeve outer side
wall 31' and these abutment shoulders 32 are disposed
to between the flat mating surfaces 11 and 12' of the vertical
and horizontal panels 11 and 12 when the fastener assembly
is fitted within the dowel bolt hole 14. The wedge
fingers 26 are also integrally formed with.the sleeve 31 and
these have V-shaped free ends 33 which locate in close fit
between the wedge sections 25 of the gripping head, as can
be seen from Figure 2. As shown in Figure 13, the shoulders
32 abut against the surface 11' to maintain the wedge 26
stationary so that when the bolt is drawn in the hole 14 the
gripping head will be wedged out to engage within the side
2o wall of the hole 15. When the bolt is pushed into the hole
15 by turning the tool engaging head 19, the sloped gripping
ribs will cause the gripping heads to move inwardly to
disengage with the side wall of the hole 15. Accordingly,
the panels can be connected and disconnected several times.
As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the rotatable cam
housing 18 is provided with an entrance port 34 which is
aligned with the dowel bolt hole 14 whereby to permit the
gripping head section 17 of the stud 16 to be received
within the eccentric cam chamber 35. The slotted eccentric
3o cam is provided with a slot 36 which is dimensioned to
receive the neck portion 37 of the stud 16 therethrough. A
pair of eccentric shoulders or walls 37 and 37' extend to
opposed sides of the slot 36 inside the chamber 35 whereby
rotation of the screw head 19 in the direction of arrow 38
3s will cause the eccentric cam walls 37 and 37' to pull on the
bolt head in the direction of arrow 39, thereby causing the
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gripping head sections 22 to separate from one another due
to the fact that the bolt is being pulled back on the wedge
which is remaining stationary due to the abutment of its
flanges 32 against the flat mating surface 12', thus causing
the V-shaped free end 33 of the wedge finger 26 to push the
gripping head sections apart whereby the gripping ribs 28
can enter into the side wall of the dowel bolt hole 15, as
shown in Figure 1. By rotating the screw head 19, tension
can be applied to the stud whereby the flat mating surfaces
io 11' and 12' are firmly pressed together. The stud remains
in tension between its gripping ribs 28 and the shoulder 17'
of the bolt head 17 against the inner walls 39 of the
eccentric cam walls 37 and 37'.
In order to disconnect the panels from one
i5 another, it is simply necessary to rotate the cam housing in
a counterclockwise direction to untension the stud 16. By
pushing the cam follower head towards the dowel bolt hole
15, the slope wall 28' of the gripping rib 28 will cause the
gripping head sections 22 to disengage with the side wall of
2o the dowel bolt hole 15 permitting the panels to disconnect
from one another.
It is within the ambit of the present invention to
cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiment
described herein.
