초록 ▼

A grommet having a longitudinal slot formed through the head and body thereof to expose a bore formed entirely through the body of the grommet may be assembled with a pin extending from the undersurface of a primary panel by addressing the slot formed through the body of the grommet to the pin and a

A grommet having a longitudinal slot formed through the head and body thereof to expose a bore formed entirely through the body of the grommet may be assembled with a pin extending from the undersurface of a primary panel by addressing the slot formed through the body of the grommet to the pin and applying pressure to the body of the grommet opposite the slot. A detent structure extending inwardly from the body of the grommet into the bore formed therethrough is constructed and arranged to engage a flat formed into the base of the pin and to thereby prevent the longitudinal extraction of the pin from the grommet. The pre-assembled pin and grommet may then be inserted into a bore formed through a secondary panel to effect a blind connection between the primary and secondary panels. Retaining mechanisms on the exterior of the body retain the grommet within the bore formed in the secondary panel and may be adapted to accommodate varying thickness in the secondary panel.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A side mounting grommet comprising:a body having a peripheral wall that defines an aperture that passes through the body longitudinally, the peripheral wall having a slot formed therethrough that exposes the entire length of the aperture;a head extending laterally from an upper end of the body so

1. A side mounting grommet comprising:a body having a peripheral wall that defines an aperture that passes through the body longitudinally, the peripheral wall having a slot formed therethrough that exposes the entire length of the aperture;a head extending laterally from an upper end of the body so as to limit the depth of insertion of the body into a bore formed in a secondary panel; the head also having a slot formed therein that is aligned with the slot in the peripheral wall of the body;a detent structure extending inwardly into the aperture defined by the body, the detent structure being constructed and arranged to engage a depression formed near the base of a pin extending from the undersurface of a primary panel; and,a retaining mechanism formed into the exterior surface of the peripheral wall of the body, the retaining mechanism being constructed and arranged to engage an edge of the bore formed through the secondary panel opposite the side of the secondary panel engaged by the head of the body, the head and the retaining mechanism cooperating to retain the body of the grommet within the bore in the secondary panel. 2. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the grommet is assembled with the pin extending from the undersurface of the primary panel prior to insertion into the bore formed in the secondary panel. 3. The grommet of claim 1 wherein a distal bearing surface of the depression formed near the base of the pin is constructed and arranged with respect to the detent structure such that a withdrawing force applied to the pin will cause the detent structure to be biased outwardly, thereby releasing the pin from the aperture of the grommet. 4. The grommet of claim 3 wherein the detent structure is constructed and arranged to maintain a weaker hold on the pin than does the retaining mechanism upon the secondary panel, thereby allowing the conjoined primary and secondary panels to be separated by withdrawing the pin from the aperture in which it is received. 5. The grommet of claim 1 wherein a bearing surface of the detent structure is constructed and arranged with respect to the depression formed near the base of the pin such that a withdrawing force applied to the pin will cause the detent structure to be biased outwardly, away from the depression formed in the pin, thereby releasing the pin from the aperture of the grommet. 6. The grommet of claim 5 wherein the detent structure is constructed and arranged to maintain a weaker hold on the pin than does the retaining mechanism upon the secondary panel, thereby allowing the conjoined primary and secondary panels to be separated by withdrawing the pin from the aperture in which it is received. 7. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the detent structure is constructed and arranged to maintain a stronger bold on the pin than does the retaining mechanism upon the secondary panel, thereby allowing the conjoined primary and secondary panels to be separated by withdrawing the body of the grommet from the bore in which it is received. 8. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the head of the grommet has a release aperture formed therethrough, the release aperture being constructed and arranged to allow the detent structure to be biased inwardly so as to release the body of the grommet from the bore formed in the secondary panel. 9. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the body comprises two detent structures that cooperatively mate with respective depressions formed near the base of the pin. 10. The grommet of claim 9 wherein the head of the grommet has two release apertures formed therethrough, the release apertures being constructed and arranged to allow the respective detent structures to be biased inwardly so as to release the body of the grommet from the bore formed in the secondary panel. 11. A grommet for making a blind connection between a primary and a secondary panel, the grommet comprising:a body having a peripheral wall that defines an aperture that passes through the body longitudinally, t he peripheral wall having a slot formed therethrough that exposes the entire length of the aperture;a head extending laterally from an upper end of the body so as to limit the depth of insertion of the body into a bore formed in a secondary panel; the head also having a slot formed therein that is aligned with the slot in the peripheral wall of the body;a detent structure extending inwardly into the aperture defined by the body, the detent structure being constructed and arranged to engage a depression formed near the base of a pin extending from the undersurface of a primary panel;a retaining mechanism formed into the exterior surface of the peripheral wall of the body, the retaining mechanism being constructed and arranged to engage an edge of the bore formed through the secondary panel opposite the side of the secondary panel engaged by the head of the body, the head and the retaining mechanism cooperating to retain the body of the grommet within the bore in the secondary panel, the body of the grommet being assembled with the pin extending from the undersurface of the primary panel prior to the insertion of the body into the bore formed in the secondary panel; and,a release aperture formed through the head of the body, the release aperture being constructed and arranged to allow the detent structure to be biased inwardly so as to release the body of the grommet from the bore formed in the secondary panel. 12. The grommet of claim 11 wherein a distal bearing surface of the depression formed near the base of the pin is constructed and arranged with respect to the detent structure such that a withdrawing force applied to the pin will cause the detent structure to be biased outwardly, thereby releasing the pin from the aperture of the grommet. 13. The grommet of claim 12 wherein the detent structure is constructed and arranged to maintain a weaker hold on the pin than does the retaining mechanism upon the secondary panel, thereby allowing the conjoined primary and secondary panels to be separated by withdrawing the pin from the aperture in which it is received. 14. The grommet of claim 11 wherein a bearing surface of the detent structure is constructed and arranged with respect to the depression formed near the base of the pin such that a withdrawing force applied to the pin will cause the detent structure to be biased outwardly, away from the depression formed in the pin, thereby releasing the pin from the aperture of the grommet. 15. The grommet of claim 14 wherein the detent structure is constructed and arranged to maintain a weaker hold on the pin than does the retaining mechanism upon the secondary panel, thereby allowing the conjoined primary and secondary panels to be separated by withdrawing the pin from the aperture in which it is received. 16. The grommet of claim 11 wherein the detent structure is constructed and arranged to maintain a stronger hold on the pin than does the retaining mechanism upon the secondary panel, thereby allowing the conjoined primary and secondary panels to be separated by withdrawing the body of the grommet from the bore in which it is received. 17. A method of securing a primary panel to a secondary panel in a blind connection, the method comprising the steps of:providing a pin that extends from an undersurface of the primary panel, the pin having a depression formed near a base thereof;providing a grommet having a body that comprises a peripheral wall that defines an aperture that passes through the body longitudinally, the peripheral wall having a slot formed therethrough that exposes the entire length of the aperture, a head extending laterally from an upper end of the body so as to limit the depth of insertion of the body into a bore formed in a secondary panel; the head also having a slot formed therein that is aligned with the slot in the peripheral wall of the body, a detent structure extending inwardly into the aperture defined by the body, the detent structure being constructed and arranged to engage the depression formed in the pin, and a retaining mechanism formed into the exterior surface of the peripheral wall of the body, the retaining mechanism being constructed and arranged to engage an edge of the bore formed through the secondary panel opposite the side of the secondary panel engaged by the head of the body, the head and the retaining mechanism cooperating to retain the body of the grommet within the bore in the secondary panel;assembling the grommet with the pin by pressing the pin into the aperture in the body of the grommet through the slot formed therein; and,inserting the grommet and pin into the bore formed in the secondary panel so as to permit the retaining structure of the body to engage the secondary panel, thereby securing the primary panel to the secondary panel. 18. The method of securing a primary panel to a secondary panel in a blind connection of claim 17 further comprising the step of disassembling the primary and secondary panel by applying a withdrawing force to the pin such that the detent structure releases the pin from the aperture of the grommet body. 19. The method of securing a primary panel to a secondary panel in a blind connection of claim 18 wherein the head of the grommet body further comprises a release aperture and wherein the step of disassembling the primary and secondary panels further includes accessing the retaining mechanisms through the release apertures and biasing the retaining mechanisms inwardly away from the bore formed in the secondary panel so as to release the grommet body from the bore in the secondary panel. 20. A side mounting grommet comprising:a body having a peripheral wall that defines an aperture that passes through the body longitudinally, the peripheral wall having a slot formed therethrough that exposes the entire length of the aperture;a detent structure extending inwardly into the aperture defined by the body, the detent structure being constructed and arranged to engage a depression formed near the base of a pin extending from the undersurface of a primary panel; and,a retaining mechanism formed into the exterior surface of the peripheral wall of the body, the retaining mechanism being constructed and arranged to engage an edge of the bore formed through the secondary panel opposite the primary panel, the retaining mechanism acting to retain the body of the grommet within the bore in the secondary panel.