1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fastener means for detachably securing two panel members together and more particularly, to a rotary fastener, which comprises a mounting base member comprising an inner barrel and an outer barrel molded on the inner barrel by insert molding, a fastening device movably inserted through the mounting base member, and an operating device rotatable relative to the outer barrel of the mounting base member subject to the guidance of a guide track unit to move the fastening device in and out of the mounting base member between a locking position to lock the two panel members together and an unlocking position for allowing separation of the two panel members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Screws and pins are widely used in drawers, machines and many other retractable devices for temporarily locking a movable member to a fixed member in a predetermined operating position. Further, in a desk computer, notebook computer, industrial computer or workstation that consists of multiple devices or mechanisms, screws or pins may be used to detachably lock one first panel member to a second panel member. Unlocking these screws or pins allow separation of the first panel member and the second panel member.
However, mounting or dismounting the screws or pins, the users hand may easily be injured by the points or threads of the screws or pins. Further, the screws or pins can get lost easily after dismounting. If some screws or pins get lost, the assembled structure may be unstable. Further, a proper hand tool must be used when mounting or dismounting the screws or pins. If a proper hand tool is not available, the mounting or dismounting work will be interrupted, causing inconvenience.
In order to eliminate the aforesaid problems, rotary fasteners are created.
According to the aforesaid prior art rotary fastener, the position-limit member B3 is fixedly mounted in the recessed accommodation chamber A1 of the mounting base member A, thus, the user cannot easily view the relative positions between the two cut planes B14 of the locking pin B1 and the two cut planes B31 of the position-limit member B3, making the operation difficult. Further, when pulling the operating knob B4 to lift the locking pin B1 relative to the position-limit member B3 and the mounting base member A, the compression spring B2 imparts a resistance to the operating knob B4, causing the user unable to keep the locking pin B1 in balance, and the locking pin B1 can be accidentally forced by the compression spring B2 toward the outside of the axial through hole A0 of the mounting base member A, causing the operating knob B4 to strike against the position-limit member B3 and the mounting base member A. Therefore, there is a strong demand for a rotary fastener that eliminates the drawbacks of the aforesaid prior art design.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a rotary fastener for locking two panel members together through a rotary motion, which has the advantages of ease of use, high installation reliability and high positioning accuracy.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the rotary fastener comprises a mounting base member, a fastening device, which comprises a pin member vertically upwardly inserted through the mounting base member, a head member fastened to the top end of the pin member and disposed above the mounting base member and an elastic member mounted around the pin member and stopped between an expanded bottom engagement portion at the bottom end of the pin member and a part inside the mounting base member, an operating cap member fixedly mounted with the head member outside the mounting base member and rotatable relative to the mounting base member between an upper-limit position and a lower-limit position to move the pin member in and out of the bottom side of the mounting base member between a locking position and an unlocking position, and a guide track unit located at the bottom side of the operating cap member and the top side of the mounting base member for guiding movement of the operating cap member relative to the mounting base member between the upper-limit position and the lower-limit position upon a rotary motion.
Preferably, the mounting base member comprises an inner barrel, and an outer barrel molded on the inner barrel by insert molding. Further, the inner barrel comprises an engagement structure located at the periphery thereof for engagement with an inside wall of the outer barrel. Further, the engagement structure comprises a plurality of grooves and a plurality of ribs alternatively spaced around the periphery of the inner barrel. In one embodiment, the engagement structure comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves and a plurality of longitudinal ribs alternatively spaced around the periphery of the inner barrel. In another embodiment, the engagement structure comprises a plurality of crossed grooves and a plurality of crossed ribs alternatively spaced around the periphery of the inner barrel.
Preferably, the guide track unit comprises a plurality of high-position locating surface portions equiangularly spaced on the top side of the outer barrel, a plurality of homing surface portions located at the top side of the outer barrel at a relatively lower elevation than the high-position locating surface portions and respectively spaced between each two adjacent high-position locating surface portions, a plurality of positioning surface portions equiangularly spaced on the bottom side of the operating cap member and movable with the operating cap member between the upper-limit position where the positioning surface portions are respectively positioned on the high-position locating surface portions and the lower-limit position where the positioning surface portions are respectively positioned on the homing surface portions, a plurality of first sloping guide paths located at the top side of the outer barrel and respectively connected between respective one ends of the high-position locating surface portions and respective one ends of the homing surface portions, a plurality of high-position stop surface portions located at the top side of the outer barrel and respectively upwardly extended from respective opposing ends of the high-position locating surface portions, a plurality of upright stop surface portions located at the top side of the outer barrel and respectively upwardly extended from respective opposing ends of the homing surface portions, a plurality of position-limit grooves located at the top side of the outer barrel and respectively connected between the upright stop surface portions and the homing surface portions, a plurality of second sloping guide paths located at the bottom side of the operating cap member and respectively extended from respective one ends of the positioning surface portions and configured to fit the first sloping guide paths, a plurality of upright abutment surface portions located at the bottom side of the operating cap member for abutment against the upright stop surface portions respectively, and a plurality of abutment protrusions respectively connected between the positioning surface portions and the upright abutment surface portions for engaging the position-limit grooves respectively.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure.
Referring to
The mounting base member 1 comprises an inner barrel 11, and an outer barrel 12 affixed to the inner barrel 11 on the outside. The inner barrel 11 comprises an accommodation chamber 110 defined therein and extending through a bottom side thereof, a top neck 111 upwardly extending from an opposing top side thereof, a bottom mounting neck 112 located at the bottom side thereof around a bottom side of the accommodation chamber 110, an axle hole 1110 defined in the top neck 11 in communication between the accommodation chamber 110 and the space outside of the inner barrel 11 and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the accommodation chamber 110, and an engagement structure 113 formed integral with the periphery thereof for engagement with an inside wall 121 of the outer barrel 12.
The fastening device 2 comprises a pin member 21, a head member 22, and an elastic member, for example, compression spring 23. The pin member 21 comprises an expanded bottom engagement portion 211 located at a bottom end thereof, and a mounting tip 212 reduced in diameter and located at an opposing top end thereof. The head member 22 comprises a center mounting hole 220 fixedly fastened to the mounting tip 212 of the pin member 21, and an engagement wall 221 extending around the periphery thereof. The compression spring 23 is sleeved onto the pin member 21 and supported on the expanded bottom engagement portion 211.
The operating device 3 comprises an operating cap member 31, a grip 32, and a guide track unit 33. The operating cap member 31 comprises a bottom-open chamber 310, a locating groove 311 located on an inside wall thereof and extending around a top side of the bottom-open chamber 310 and adapted for receiving the engagement wall 221 of the head member 22, and a top opening 312 axially cut through a top wall thereof in communication with the locating groove 311 and the bottom-open chamber 310. The grip 32 is formed integral with the periphery of the operating cap member 31. The guide track unit 33 is located at a bottom side of the operating cap member 31 and a top side of the outer barrel 12 of the mounting base member 1 to guide relative rotary motion between the operating cap member 31 and the top side of the outer barrel 12.
When assembling the rotary fastener, affix the outer barrel 12 of the mounting base member 1 to the inner barrel 11, and then fixedly fasten the engagement wall 221 of the head member 22 of the fastening device 2 to the locating groove 311 in the bottom-open chamber 310 of the operating cap member 31 of the operating device 3, and the upwardly insert the pin member 21 through the compression spring 23 and the accommodation chamber 110 and axle hole 1110 of the inner barrel 11 of the mounting base member 1 to tightly fasten the mounting tip 212 of the pin member 21 to the center mounting hole 220 of the head member 22, allowing the compression spring 23 to be stopped between the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 and an inside wall of the inner barrel 11 adjacent to the axle hole 1110. When assembled, the outer barrel 12 of the mounting base member 1 is received in the bottom-open chamber 310 of the operating cap member 31.
The guide track unit 33 comprises two high-position locating surface portions 331 symmetrically located at the top side of the outer barrel 12 at two opposing locations, two homing surface portions 332 located at the top side of the outer barrel 12 and bilaterally equally spaced between the high-position locating surface portions 331 at a relatively lower elevation, two first sloping guide paths 336 located at the top side of the outer barrel 12 and respectively connected between respective one ends of the high-position locating surface portions 331 and respective one ends of the homing surface portions 332, two high-position stop surface portions 3311 located at the top side of the outer barrel 12 and respectively upwardly extended from respective opposing ends of the high-position locating surface portions 331 remote from the first sloping guide paths 336 and the homing surface portions 332, two upright stop surface portions 3322 located at the top side of the outer barrel 12 and respectively upwardly extended from respective one ends of the homing surface portions 332 remote from the first sloping guide paths 336, two position-limit grooves 3321 located at the top side of the outer barrel 12 and respectively connected between the upright stop surface portions 3322 and the homing surface portions 332, two positioning surface portions 333 symmetrically located at the bottom side of the operating cap member 32 at two opposing locations for abutment against the homing surface portions 332 at the outer barrel 12, two second sloping guide paths 335 located at the bottom side of the operating cap member 31 and respectively extended from respective one ends of the positioning surface portions 333 and configured to fit the first sloping guide paths 336 at the top side of the outer barrel 12, and two abutment structures 334 located at the bottom side of the operating cap member 31 and respectively extended from respective opposing ends of the positioning surface portions 333. Each abutment structure 334 comprises an abutment protrusion 3341 for engaging one respective position-limit groove 3321 at the outer barrel 12, and an upright abutment surface portion 3342 for abutment against one respective upright stop surface portions 3322 at the outer barrel 12. Subject to the functioning of the guide track unit 33, the operating cap member 31 can be rotatably moved relative to the outer barrel 12 between a lower-limit position, i.e., the locking position where the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 is extended out of the bottom side of the inner barrel 11, and a upper-limit position, i.e., the unlocking position where the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 is received in the accommodation chamber 110 inside the inner barrel 11.
Further, the outer barrel 12 of the mounting base member 1 can be directly molded on the inner barrel 11 using insert molding technology. During the insert molding process, the top neck 111 of the inner barrel 11 is secured in place by clamping means of the mold, prohibiting the molten fluid from flowing through the axle hole 1110 into the inside of the inner barrel 11. Thus, the molded mounting base member 1 can be conveniently assembled with the pin member 21 and head member 22 of the fastening device 2.
Further, in this embodiment, the guide track unit 33 of the operating device 3 comprises two high-position locating surface portions 331, two homing surface portions 332 and two positioning surface portions 333, wherein the high-position locating surface portions 331, homing surface portions 332 or positioning surface portions 333 are spaced from each other at 180°. However, this design is not a limitation. In an alternate form of the present invention, the guide track unit 33 of the operating device 3 can be configured to provide four high-position locating surface portions 331, four homing surface portions 332 and four positioning surface portions 333, wherein the high-position locating surface portions 331, homing surface portions 332 or positioning surface portions 333 are spaced from one another at 90°.
Referring to
When holding the grip 32 to rotate the operating cap member 31 of the operating device 3 relative to the mounting base member 1 in the reversed direction through 90° from the upper-limit position to the lower-limit position, the positioning surface portions 333 will be moved with the operating cap member 31 away from the respective high-position locating surface portions 331 along the respective first sloping guide paths 336 at the outer barrel 12 to the respective homing surface portions 332, causing the respective abutment protrusions 3341 to be engaged into the respective position-limit grooves 3321. At this time, the positioning surface portions 333 are respectively supported on the homing surface portions 332, the second sloping guide paths 335 are respectively abutted against the first sloping guide paths 336, and the upright abutment surface portions 3342 are respectively abutted against the respective upright stop surface portions 3322, and thus the operating cap member 31 is positively held on the outer barrel 12 of the mounting base member 1 in the lower-limit position. When the operating cap member 31 of the operating device 3 reaches the lower-limit position, the pin member 21 of the fastening device 2 is moved to the locking position to suspend the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 outside the accommodation chamber 110 of the inner barrel 11.
Further, the bottom mounting neck 112 of the inner barrel 11 of the mounting base member 1 suspends outside the bottom side of the outer barrel 12. In application, affix the bottom mounting neck 112 of the inner barrel 11 of the rotary fastener to a mounting through hole 40 of a first panel member 4. At this time, the user can attach the first panel member 4 to a second panel member 5, and then operate the rotary fastener to lock the first panel member 4 to the second panel member 5 by rotating the operating cap member 31 to move the pin member 21 from the unlocking position to the locking position to engage the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 into a locking hole 50 in the second panel member 5. When rotating the operating cap member 31 in the reversed direction from the lower-limit position to the upper-limit position, the pin member 21 will be moved with the operating cap member 31 from the locking position to the unlocking position to disengage the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 from the locking hole 50 of the second panel member 5, allowing separation between the first panel member 4 and the second panel member 5.
Further, the grip 32 can be configured comprising a plurality of grooves and/or ribs spaced around the periphery of the operating cap member 31. Alternatively, the grip 32 can be a rod member or wing member outwardly extended from the periphery of the operating cap member 31 for operation by a user to rotate the operating cap member 31 relative to the outer barrel 12 of the mounting base member 1 with less effort.
Further, in the embodiment shown in
In conclusion, the invention provides a rotary fastener mountable at a first panel member for detachably locking the first panel member to a second panel member through a rotary operation. The rotary fastener comprises a mounting base member 1, which comprises an inner barrel 11 defining therein an accommodation chamber 110 and an outer barrel 12 molded on the inner barrel 11 by insert molding, a fastening device 2, which comprises a pin member 21 inserted through the accommodation chamber 110 of the inner barrel 11 and having a mounting tip 212 located at a top end thereof and suspending outside the mounting base member 1 and an expanded bottom engagement portion 211 located at an opposing bottom end thereof, a head member 22 fixedly fastened to the mounting tip 212 of the pin member 21 outside the mounting base member 1 and an elastic member 23 mounted around the pin member 21 and stopped between the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 and a part of the inner barrel 11 in the accommodation chamber 110, and an operating device 3, which comprises an operating cap member 31 affixed to the head member 22 of the fastening device 2 and rotatable relative to the mounting base member 1 to move between an upper-limit position and a lower-limit position to further carry the pin member 21 of the fastening device 2 between an unlocking position where the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 is received inside the accommodation chamber 110 of the inner barrel 11 and a locking position where the expanded bottom engagement portion 211 of the pin member 21 is extended out of the accommodation chamber 110 of the inner barrel 11, and a guide track unit 33 located at the bottom side of the operating cap member 31 and the top side of the outer barrel 12 for guiding the operating cap member 31 to move between the upper-limit position and the lower-limit position upon a rotary motion. Subject to the guidance of the guide track unit 33, the operating cap member 31 can be smoothly and accurately rotated between the upper-limit position and the lower-limit position without causing component impact.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 14/256,780, filed on Apr. 18, 2014, for which priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14256780 | Apr 2014 | US |
Child | 14570793 | US |