Panel Fastener with Adjustable, Biasing Cap Holder

摘要

A panel fastener includes an internal spring clip held within a groove in the inside wall of the fastener cap, which engages a retainer to hold an extendable fastener at different positions on the retainer. The retainer can have contours and regions of reduced diameter that bear against the clip that establish positions of greater resistance to, or bias toward, movement of the fastener. The panel fastener makes it possible for the capped fastener to stay in different positions between its two end limit positions with reliable stability and without the need for any external sacrificial parts to meet the needs of pick-and-place automation. The fastener can be a screw or a non-threaded component.

主权项

1. A panel fastener, comprising:
a fastener affixed to a surrounding cap, said cap having a downwardly extending peripheral portion which includes an inner wall; a groove located along the cap inner wall; a non-circular resilient clip residing partly within said groove; and, a retainer having a bore through which a shank of said fastener is axially moveable between retracted and extended positions; wherein portions of the clip frictionally engage the retainer which prevents the fastener from moving freely axially within the retainer.