IP Library Granted Patent US 8,656,562
Granted Patent B2
US 8,656,562 · App. 13/237,936 · Granted Feb 25, 2014

Structure of assembling a plastic locking device with a surface material

Inventor: Shih-Sheng Yang (New Taipei, TW)
Assignee: Universal Trim Supply Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,656,562
App. No.
13/237,936
Granted
Feb 25, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A structure of assembling a plastic locking device with a surface material includes a plastic locking device. A surface material forms holes. The plastic locking device is placed to have through-holes defined therein overlapping the holes of the surface material. Rivet fastener elements are respectively put through the through-holes of the plastic locking device and the holes of the surface material to be subjected to a riveting and fixing operation. The rivet fastener element includes a male button that is made of zinc and forms a pillar and a female button that is made of zinc and forms a hollow tube. Pressurizing equipment is used to couple the pillar and the hollow tube through interference fitting between the pillar and an inner wall of the hollow tube. Locking blocks are formed on the inner wall of the hollow tube to provide a tight interference fitting with respect to the pillar.

Claims (7)

1. An assembled structure of a plastic locking device and a surface material, which comprises a plastic locking device, a rivet fastener, and a surface material in the form of a flexible sheet, characterized in that:

the plastic locking device has a peripheral that forms a through-hole;

the surface material forms a hole; and

the rivet fastener element comprises a female button and a male button, the male button having a plate body that is provided with a protruded pillar having a smooth cylindrical circumferential surface, the female button comprising a plate body and a hollow tube that has an inner circumferential wall extending in an axial direction from the plate body of the female button toward the protruded pillar of the male button and forming locking blocks projecting toward a center, the hollow tube of the female button having a free end that is distant from the plate body of the female button and forms an opening that receives insertion of the protruded pillar of the male button into the hollow tube, the locking blocks being in the form of ribs that extend axially and are distributed circumferentially on the inner circumferential wall of the hollow tube to establish force interference between the ribs of the hollow tube and the smooth cylindrical circumferential surface of the protruded pillar;

wherein the plastic locking device is positionable on the surface material with the through-hole of the plastic locking device overlapping the hole of the surface material and the female button is positionable on the surface material to have the hollow tube transfixed into the through-hole of the plastic locking device and the hole of the surface material, the male button being arranged to have the protruded pillar align with the opening of the hollow tube of the female button and adapted to receive a punch pin to apply a force thereto such that the protruded pillar of the male button is forced into the hollow tube of the female button to have the rivet fastener element riveted to connect the plastic locking device with the surface material thereby making the plastic locking device tightly set and coupled to the surface material;

wherein the rivet fastener element is made of zinc; and

wherein the plastic locking device and the rivet fastener are free of threading so that operation of assembling the plastic locking device with a surface material is done without threading coupling.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2011
From: YANG, SHIH-SHENG
To: UNIVERSAL TRIM SUPPLY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 026938/0943 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 11946877 · Feb 15, 2008
Related Publication 20120009045A1 · Jan 12, 2012