Plastic expansion nut

Abstract

A universally self-aligned expandable nut including a head and a body moldable in a simple mold having a straight-line open and close action. The head includes an enlarged flange having a central opening through which a screw can pass. The body includes a shank connected to the flange having individual upper walls separated by axially extending upper slots and inner and outer surfaces parallel to a longitudinal axis defining a shank cavity. The upper walls have distal ends establishing a first fold line. The body also has individual tapered wall sections separated by axially extending lower slots aligned with the upper slots. The tapered walls each have an upper end connected to the distal end of an adjacent upper wall section, a lower end, and an inner surface that coacts with inner surfaces of adjacent lower walls to define a lower cavity. The lower wall inner surfaces terminate at a medial portion between the upper and lower ends establishing a second fold line. A tubular member extends upward into the lower cavity and has uninterrupted interior and exterior wall surfaces extending parallel to the longitudinal axis to define a first bore axially aligned with the central opening. The body further includes an insertion and extending axially away from the lower end, uninterrupted outside and inside wall surfaces extending parallel to the body axis and a second bore aligned with the first bore.