Newfrey Lcc

Najwan Rassam

Oday Amer Safry

Jason Aaron Meyers

Tien T Diep

Roger E Pilon

Andrew Cornell Heidacker

Steven Michael Benedetti

Ryan Ostach

Aaron J Smith

An outer component has an opening therein defining an outer component mating wall, and a collar is configured to be inserted into the opening in the outer component. The collar has a collar mating wall with an outer surface and including a number of protrusions. A recess can surround each protrusion so that an overall protrusion height between a base of the protrusion and a distal end thereof is greater than a protruding distance between an outermost portion of the outer surface of the collar mating wall and the distal end of the protrusion. The configuration of the protrusions, including the number thereof, can be designed to provide a press-fit insertion force of 50 Newtons or less, and to provide a friction retention force sufficient to retain the collar within the opening of the outer component under its own weight, throughout relevant tolerance ranges for the mating walls.

Press-fit, friction-retention coupling assembly between hard, inflexible material components

An outer component and an annular collar can be formed of materials having a Rockwell R hardness of at least 120. The outer component can have a recess, including an outer component mating wall. The annular collar can include an annular collar mating wall, including at least three protrusions. A recess can surround each protrusion so that an overall protrusion height between a base of the protrusion and a distal end thereof is greater than a protruding distance between an outer diameter of a cylindrical outer surface of the annular collar mating wall and the distal end of the protrusion. The number and configuration of the protrusions can be designed to provide a press-fit insertion force of 50 Newtons or less, and to provide a friction retention force sufficient to retain the annular collar within the recess under its own weight, throughout relevant tolerance ranges for the mating walls.

Aperture retention arms can extend outwardly away from an aperture shaft. An insertion end can be positioned below the aperture retention arms and can have an overall conical shape. The insertion end can include an opening having a closed interior terminal end separating a portion of a first lateral half of the insertion end and leaving another portion of the first lateral half as a connecting bridge below one of the aperture retention arms. The opening can include a channel extending from the closed interior terminal end to an open exterior terminal end to separate a second lateral half of the insertion end below another of the aperture retention arms. The insertion end below the open exterior terminal end of the channel can extend laterally outwardly beyond a straight exterior line defined by laterally outermost points of an outer longitudinal side of the second aperture retention arm.

Single-piece fastener

An aperture fastener piece has an intermediate head and an aperture shaft, including aperture retention arms extending from a side of the intermediate head. A receiver includes an annular wall extending from a base, and a plurality of plate retention surfaces supported by and positioned inwardly of the annular wall. A coupling plate can be engaged and retained by the plurality of plate retention surfaces within the receiver to couple the doghouse fastener piece and the aperture fastener piece together. Each of the receiver and the coupling plate extends from different ones of the intermediate head as part of the aperture fastener piece and the doghouse shaft as part of the doghouse fastener piece. The coupling plate can extend from a second of the opposite side of the intermediate head as part of the aperture fastener piece, and the doghouse shaft as part of the doghouse fastener piece.

Two-piece fastener assembly

A pin and grommet fastener includes a grommet that defines a central aperture and includes at least two adjacent longitudinally extending leg members that each include a frame, a knuckle and a tether. The knuckle is connected to the frame at a hinge region that is designed to permit the knuckle to move relative to the frame. The tether connects the knuckle to a base surface of grommet in order to limit movement of the knuckle relative to the frame. The fastener includes a pin that has a first locking member to retain the pin in a first position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members are in a laterally unexpanded state. The pin also has a second locking member to retain the pin in a second position relative to the grommet in which the longitudinally extending leg members are in a laterally expanded state.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Najwan Rassam