AU5594399A

AU5594399A - Fastener

Info

Publication number: AU5594399A
Application number: AU55943/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stephen Casey
Original assignee: Consolidated Manufacturing Industries Ltd
Current assignee: CONSOLIDATED MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES Ltd
Priority date: 1998-10-19
Filing date: 1999-10-19
Publication date: 2000-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-19
Also published as: AU761464B2

Description

Ir/UUIU 1 2W.Vu1 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title:

FASTENER

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us hr

FASTENER

INTRODUCTION

This invention concerns fasteners, in particular fasteners adapted for use in installation of sinks, appliances and the like in openings in benchtops, and methods for such installation.

Taking as an example the installation of sinks in openings in bench tops, many sinks are made as a single metal pressing with a generally peripheral rail so formed on an underside of the pressing as to depend from the underside. An opening is cut in a benchtop generally following the shape of the rail, and fasteners are used to clip the rail to the benchtop at locations around the periphery of the opening.

Fasteners used in this application generally include a clip adapted for positive engagement with the rail and some form of screw operated clamping member which engages both the clip and the underside of the benchtop. One type, of which an example is disclosed in Australian Patent No. 525082, includes a clamping element which, only after the sink is placed in the opening in the benchtop, is secured to a clip engaged with the rail. Such fasteners can •be time consuming to fit, particularly where access to the underside of the sink is difficult.

As it is for this last reason greatly preferred that the entire fastener be secured to the rail before the sink is fed through the opening, another type of fastener provides means whereby the clamping element is captive on the clip, can be prevented from fouling the benchtop as the sink is passed into the opening, and can thereafter be so positioned as to engage the underside of the benchtop. Australian Patent No. 618970 discloses an example of this approach.

The present invention is of the second type, and offers an alternative choice for buyers of such fasteners. It has an advantage in that the screw of the screw-operated clamping element engages directly in the clip, and not in another component such as the pin (item 13) in the fastener disclosed in Australian Patent No. 618970. If in that fastener the pin is of a plastics material it may be weaker than a metal pin, but if the pin is of metal the fastener may be more expensive to make than that disclosed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides, in a first aspect, a fastener including: a screw-operated clamping member; a clip adapted to positively engage a rail, said clip defining a hole adapted to receive the screw in threadable engagement with the clip; and a connecting member which connects the clip and the clamping member, said fastener characterized in that: the connecting member includes means whereby the clamping member and the clip are movable between operative and non-operative relative positions; in the non-operative relative position the clamping member does not project to any substantial extent to one side of a rail with the clip is engaged; and in the operative relative position at least a portion of the clamping member projects to the said side and the screw is aligned for advancement into the hole.

Preferably, said means included in the connecting member is or includes a hinge.

It is particularly preferred that the hinge is formed integrally with the connecting member.

Preferably, the hole is defined in a tongue included in the clip and said 9*l tongue is received in a cooperating slot groove or aperture in the connecting member.

The tongue may be a push-fit in the cooperating slot groove or aperture so that the tongue is retained in engagement with the connecting member.

However, it is preferred that the tongue includes a projection and the connecting member includes a cooperating recess so that by engagement of the projection in the recess the tongue is snap-fittingly retained in the connecting member.

The projection may be a dimple formed in the tongue. The hole may be defined centrally in the dimple.

In a preferred embodiment, the clamping member has two fingers substantially parallel to the screw and received in cooperating slots grooves or apertures in the connecting member.

Before use of the fastener the screw-operated clamping member may be held captive in the connecting member by self-tapping engagement of the screw with the connecting member.

The screw may be self-tapping in the hole in the clip.

Preferably, the connecting member includes clip means adapted when engaged to hold the clamping member and the clip in the operative relative position.

The connecting member is preferably formed from a resilient plastics material.

41 In another aspect, the invention provides a fastener for securing an item such as a sink in an opening in a benchtop, including: •4 a clamping member adapted to be advanced by a screw into engagement with an underside of the benchtop; a clip adapted to positively engage a rail depending from said item, said clip defining a hole adapted to receive the screw in threadable engagement with the clip; and a connecting member which connects the clip and the clamping member, said fastener characterized in that: the connecting member includes means whereby the clamping member S"and the clip are movable between operative and non-operative relative positions; when the clamping member and the clip are in said non-operative relative positions, the clamping member lies in such a position that said item can pass through the opening with the fastener clipped to the rail; and when the clamping member and the clip are in said operative relative positions, the clamping member is engagable with the underside of the benchtop and the screw is threadably engagable in the hole in the clip.

Preferably, the connecting member includes first and second parts connected by a hinge and the said clamping member is retained in association -i It 4 with the first part and said clip is retained in association with the second part.

The hinge and the first and second parts are preferably formed integrally.

It is preferred that the connecting member includes holding means adapted when in use to hold the clamping member and the clip in the operative relative position, said holding means including mutually cooperating clip halves respectively on the first and second parts of the connecting member. With this arrangement, after the sink is lowered into place, the (or each fasteners) clamping member can be moved into its operative relative position and there retained by the clamping means while the clamping member is brought into engagement with the benchtop.

In a further main aspect, the invention provides a method for fastening a sink in an opening in a benchtop including the steps of: clipping to the or at least one rail depending from an underside of the sink a fastener according to the invention in any of the forms disclosed above; placing the or each associated clamping member and clip in the nonoperative relative position; placing the sink in the opening so that the sink abuts an upper surface of the benchtop; placing the or each associated clamping member and clip in the o operative relative position; and screwing the screw of each fastener into the clip so that the or each clamping member engages an underside of the benchtop.

S"The invention will now be described in more detail by reference to a preferred embodiment as shown in Figures 1 to 5. However, it is to be understood that many variations are possible which are nevertheless within the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partially exploded isometric view of a fastener according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the fastener shown in Figure 1, now assembled.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the fastener shown in Figure 2 as viewed in the direction of arrow in Figure 2 and with one component sectioned midway along its length.

Figure 4 is the same elevation as Figure 3, save that the sectioned component is shown in a different position.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the fastener shown in, and arranged as in, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the fastener as shown in Figure 4, now positioned for use in clamping a sink to a benchtop, the sink and benchtop being shown in cross section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows in partially exploded form a fastener 1 embodying the o:o present invention, adapted for use in securing a sink in an opening cut in a benchtop. The fastener 1 is an assembly of four components, namely a clamping member 2, a screw 3, a connecting member 4 and a clip 5. The view of Figure 1 is an exploded one to the extent that the clip 5 is shown detached from the remainder of the fastener 1. For completion of the assembly, the clip may be moved in the direction of arrow until a tongue 6 of the clip 5 is Sreceived in a slot 7 in the connecting member 4 as shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 shows the fastener 1 thus assembled. Formed in the tongue 6 is a dimple 8 which is received in a recess 9 in the connecting member 4, so that the clip is positively retained in the connecting member 4.

The clip 5 and the clamping member 2 are of metal and the connecting member 4 is of polypropylene plastics material (although in all three cases other materials are possible). The connecting member 4 is slightly resilient, and so can distort enough to enable the tongue 6 and the dimple 8 to be pushed into the slot 7 until the dimple 8 is within the recess 9.

The connecting member 4 includes an integral hinge 10, an upper half 11 and a lower half 12, and is formed as a single plastics moulding. The formation of integral hinges in plastic mouldings of polypropylene (for example) is well known in the plastics moulding art. The views of the fastener 1 in Figures 3 and 4 show the upper and lower halves 11 and 12 and the clip and clamping member 2 in non-operative and operative relative positions respectively, these terms being discussed more fully below.

The clamping member 2 is retained in the lower half 12 of the connecting member 4 by the screw 3, which is self tapping in a hole 23 in the connecting member 4, and includes two parallel fingers 20 and 21 upstanding from a base 22. The fingers 20 and 21 are received in slots 24 and 25 in the lower half 12, so that when the screw 3 is screwed forward the fingers 20 and 21 slide in the slots 24 and 25 and the base 22 of the clamping member 2 advances towards the lower half 12 of the connecting member 4.

The upper and lower halves 11 and 12 of the connecting member 4 includes co-operating clip halves 26 and 27. When, in use as described below, the lower half 12 is rotated about the hinge 10 into the operative relative position of the two halves 11 and 12 as shown in Figure 4, the clip halves 26 and 27 engage with each other so that the operative relative position is maintained. (The resilience of the connecting member allows separation of the clip halves 26 and 27 if required).

Referring now to Figure 6, the fastener 1 is adapted for securing a sink 28 to a benchtop 29 in which has been provided an opening 30. The sink 28 has a peripheral flange 31 which on installation abuts the benchtop 29, and a depending peripheral rail 32. The opening 30 is so shaped and sized as to enable passage through it of the rail 32 but to be concealed by the flange 31 after installation of the sink 28 in the opening 30. For installation, the sink 28 is placed in the opening 30, and a number of fasteners 1 are used to clamp the S" benchtop 29 between the flange 31 and the clamping member 2. (In the following discussion, only one fastener 1 is discussed, but it is to be understood that it is one of several disposed around the periphery of the sink 28.) The clip 5 includes two fingers 13 and 14 and a central member which in use (and as best seen in Figure 6) lie on opposite sides of the rail 32.

The central member 15 includes a protruding tab 19 which in use of the clip lodges in an opening (not shown) in the rail 32 so that the clip 5 is secured to the rail 32 by simply sliding it onto the rail 32 adjacent to the said opening until the tab 19 enters the said opening. This arrangement is known in the art, and may be seen for example in Australian Patent No. 618970.

The fastener 1 may be clipped to the rail 32 after the sink 28 is placed in the opening 30. However, it is more convenient to clip the fastener 1 to the rail 32 before the sink 28 is placed in the opening 30 and the fastener 1 is adapted to enable this. Specifically, the fastener 1 when first clipped to the rail 32 has its upper and lower halves in the non-operative relative position shown in Figure 3, so that the lower half 12 and the clamping member 2 can pass through the opening 30 without fouling the benchtop 29. It is known in the plastics moulding art to proportion an integral hinge such as the hinge 10 so that when hanging freely (as in Figure 3) it will assume a particular required position (in this case the non-operative position).

With the sink 28 positioned in the opening 30, a user may rotate the lower half 12 of the connecting member 4 and the clamping member 2 about the hinge 10 until the clip halves 26 and 27 engage with each other so that the

S.

upper and lower halves 11 and 12 are in their operative relative position as shown in Figures 4 and 6. The clamping member 2 may then, optionally, be pushed upward until barbs 34 formed on the base 22 of the clamping member 2 contact the benchtop. As the clamping member 2 is pushed upwards, the fingers 20 and 21 of the clamping member 2 enter slots 35 provided in the upper half 11 of the connecting member 4. Using a screwdriver (not shown) the screw 3 is then screwed forward through a hole 36 in the connecting member 4 to engage with a hole 33 in the dimple 8 of the clip 5. The hole 33 is so formed (in a manner well known in the art of press forming small metal parts) that the screw is threadably engaged with the hole 33. Once the screw is advanced far enough for its head 50 to contact the base 22 of the clamping member 2, the benchtop 29 is clamped between the flange 31 and the clamping member 2. Further advancement of the screw 3 enhances the clamping effect by penetration of the barbs 34 into the benchtop. The chaindotted outline in Figure 6 shows a possible final position of the base 22 abutting the benchtop 29.

Entry of the fingers 20 and 21 into the slots 35 prevents disengagement of the clip halves 26 and 27 when the screw 3 first contacts the clip 5, so that there is no reversion of the upper and lower halves 11 and 12 to their non- 0 8 operative relative position. As the screw 3 is advanced after engagement with the clip 5, any tendency to lateral bending of the screw 3 is limited by engagement of the fingers 20 and 21 in the slots 35. The fastener 1 is so proportioned that, if the clamping element 2 is not pushed upwards into contact with the benchtop 29, before the screw 3 is advanced, the screw 3 engages with the hole 33 before the barbs 34 contact the benchtop 29, an arrangement which also prevents inadvertent reversion to the non-operative relative position of the upper and lower halves 11 and 12.

Note that once the screw 3, which is of metal, and the hole 33 in the clip 5 are threadingly engaged, which involves metal-to-metal contact, the screw 3 may no longer be purely threadingly engaged in the lower half 12 of the connecting member 4. As the connecting member 4 is of a comparatively soft material this does not adversely affect the operation of the fastener: some "stripping" of the thread (not shown) cut by the screw 3 in hole 23 of the lower half 12 is acceptable.

It will be noted that the fastener 1 has the advantage of direct engagement of the screw 3 of the screw-operated clamping member 2 with S.the clip 5, and consequently is in practice secure and less likely than some other fasteners to be damaged on installation.

It will be appreciated that many variations may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. Many different clip designs may be adopted, for example. For further example, the hole 33 may be tapped instead of being formed for threading engagement with the screw 3.

Claims

1. A fastener for securing a sink to a benchtop, including: a screw-operated clamping member; a clip adapted to positively engage a rail, said clip defining a hole adapted to receive the screw in threadable engagement with the clip; and a connecting member which connects the clip and the clamping member, said fastener characterized in that: the connecting member includes means whereby the clamping member and the clip are movable between operative and non-operative relative positions; in the non-operative relative position the clamping member does not project to any substantial extent to one side of a rail with the clip is engaged; and in the operative relative position at least a portion of the clamping member projects to the said side and the screw is aligned for advancement into the hole.

2. A fastener according to claim 1 wherein said means included in the connecting member is or includes a hinge.

3. A fastener according to claim 2 wherein the hinge is formed integrally Swith the connecting member.

4. A fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the hole is defined in a tongue included in the clip and said tongue is received in a cooperating slot groove or aperture in the connecting member. A fastener according to claim 4 wherein the tongue is a push-fit in the cooperating slot groove or aperture so that the tongue is retained in engagement with the connecting member.

6. A fastener according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the tongue includes a projection and the connecting member includes a cooperating recess so that by engagement of the projection in the recess the tongue is snap-fittingly retained in the connecting member.

7. A fastener according to claim 6 wherein the said projection is a dimple formed in the tongue.

8. A fastener according to claim 7 wherein the hole is defined centrally in the dimple.

9. A fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the clamping member has two fingers substantially parallel to the screw and received in cooperating slots grooves or apertures in the connecting member.

10. A fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the screw- operated clamping member is held captive in the connecting member by self- tapping engagement of the screw with the connecting member. a.

11. A fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the 0:00: connecting member includes further clip means adapted when engaged to hold the clamping member and the clip in the operative relative position. S12. A fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the connecting member is formed from a resilient plastic material.

13. A method for fastening a sink in an opening in a benchtop including the steps of: clipping to the or at least one rail depending from an underside of the sink a fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 12; placing the or each associated clamping member and clip in the non- operative relative position; placing the sink in the opening so that the sink abuts an upper surface 11 of the benchtop; placing the or each associated clamping member and clip in the operative relative position; and screwing the screw of each fastener into the clip so that the or each clamping member engages an underside of the benchtop.

14. A fastener for securing an item such as a sink in an opening in a benchtop, including: a clamping member adapted to be advanced by a screw into engagement with an underside of the benchtop; a clip adapted to positively engage a rail depending from said item, said clip defining a hole adapted to receive the screw in threadable engagement with the clip; and a connecting member which connects the clip and the clamping member, 0said fastener characterized in that: the connecting member includes means whereby the clamping member and the clip are movable between operative and non-operative relative positions; 0. when the clamping member and the clip are in said non-operative relative positions, the clamping member lies in such a position that said item can pass through the opening with the fastener clipped to the rail; and when S"the clamping member and the clip are in said operative relative positions, the clamping member is engagable with the underside of the benchtop and the screw is threadably engagable in the hole in the clip. A fastener according to claim 14 wherein the connecting member includes holding means adapted when in use to hold the clamping member and the clip in the operative relative position.

16. A fastener according to claim 14 wherein the connecting member includes upper and lower halves connected by a hinge and wherein said clamping member is retained in association with the lower half and said clip is retained in association with the upper half.

17. A fastener according to claim 16 wherein said hinge is integrally formed with said upper and lower halves.

18. A fastener according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the connecting member includes holding means adapted when in use to hold the clamping member and the clip in the operative relative position, said holding means including mutually cooperating clip halves respectively on the upper and lower halves of the connecting member. 00 go

19. A fastener according to any one of claims 14 to 19 wherein the clamping member has at least one finger substantially parallel to the screw and received in a cooperating slot groove or aperture in the connecting *member thereby to guide movement of the clamping member.

20. A fastener according to any one of claims 14 to 19 wherein the screw is ~retained in the connecting member by engagement of the screw in an opening in the connecting member. fee*

21. A fastener according to any one of claims 14 to 20 wherein the hole is *defined in a tongue included in the clip and said tongue is received in a I cooperating slot groove or aperture in the connecting member.

22. A fastener according to claim 21 wherein the tongue is snap-fittingly retained in the connecting member.

23. A fastener according to any one of claims 14 to 23 wherein the connecting member is formed from a resilient plastic material. 13

24. A method for fastening an item such as a sink into an opening in a benchtop, including the steps of: clipping to the or at least one rail depending from an underside of the item a fastener according to any one of claims 14 to 23; placing the or each associated clamping member and clip in the non- operative relative position; passing the item into the opening so that the item abuts an upper surface of the benchtop; placing the or each associated clamping member and clip in the operative relative position; and screwing the screw of each fastener into the clip so that the or each clamping member engages an underside of the benchtop.

26. A fastener substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 6. DATED this 19 th day of October, 1999 CONSOLIDATED MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES LIMITED WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA SKP:DHS:jc:pcp Doc 23 PP6590.doc