Floating fastener mounting structure and method

Abstract

A floating fastener mounting structure and method is disclosed to include a metal panel member defining a convex wall portion and a mounting through hole at the convex wall portion, a mounting socket defining a center hole, an annular step around the outer perimeter and an annular locating groove around the outer perimeter and at the bottom side of the annular step and being riveted to the metal panel member to force the annular locating groove into engagement with the convex wall portion tightly, a spring member mounted in the mounting socket, and a lock screw floatably supported on the spring member in the mounting socket for detachably locking the metal panel member to an external metal panel member.

What the invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A floating fastener mounting structure, comprising a metal panel member, a mounting socket affixed to said metal panel member, a lock screw mounted in said mounting socket, and a spring member mounted in said mounting socket to floatably support said lock screw in said mounting socket, wherein:
 said metal panel member comprises a mounting through hole, and a convex wall portion disposed around said mounting through hole and defining a bottom accommodation space;   said mounting socket is upwardly inserted through said mounting through hole of said metal panel member, comprising a center hole vertically extending through opposing top and bottom sides thereof for accommodating said lock screw and said spring member, an annular step protruding from and extending around an outer perimeter near bottom side thereof, and an annular locating groove extending around the outer perimeter and abutted against a bottom side of said annular step and forced into engagement with said convex wall portion of said metal panel member, said annular step defining a downwardly and outwardly sloping top surface for guiding said convex wall portion of said metal panel member downwardly over said annular step into engagement with said annular locating groove.   
     
     
         2 . The floating fastener mounting structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said mounting socket further comprises a transverse partition wall disposed in said center hole, and a through hole cut through opposing top and bottom sides of said transverse partition wall at the center; said lock screw comprises a head disposed outside said mounting socket, and a shank perpendicularly and downwardly extended from a bottom wall of said head at the center and terminating in a screw rod and inserted through the through hole on said transverse partition wall in said center hole of said mounting socket; said spring member is mounted around said shank of said lock screw in said center hole of said mounting socket and stopped between said head of said lock screw and the top side of said transverse partition wall of said mounting socket. 
     
     
         3 . The floating fastener mounting structure as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a C-shaped retainer clamped on said shank of said lock screw and stopped between a bottom edge of said transverse partition wall of said mounting socket and said screw rod of said lock screw. 
     
     
         4 . The floating fastener mounting structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said mounting socket further comprises a transverse partition wall disposed in said center hole, a through hole cut through opposing top and bottom sides of said transverse partition wall at the center, and an external top annular flange extending around the outer perimeter near the top side thereof; said lock screw comprises a head disposed outside said mounting socket, a shank perpendicularly and downwardly extended from a bottom wall of said head at the center and terminating in a screw rod and inserted through the through hole on said transverse partition wall in said center hole of said mounting socket, and a cap member affixed to said head and axially slideably coupled to the outer perimeter of said mounting socket between said external top annular flange and said annular step of said mounting socket; said spring member is mounted around said shank of said lock screw in said center hole of said mounting socket and stopped between said head of said lock screw and the top side of said transverse partition wall of said mounting socket. 
     
     
         5 . The floating fastener mounting structure as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said external top annular flange has a diameter smaller than the diameter of said annular step. 
     
     
         6 . The floating fastener mounting structure as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said mounting socket further comprises an external bottom annular flange extending around the outer perimeter in flush with the bottom side thereof and abutted at a bottom side of said annular locating groove and accommodated in said bottom accommodation space of said metal panel member. 
     
     
         7 . The floating fastener mounting structure as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said lock screw further comprises an operation portion located on a top wall of said head in one of the forms of straight slot, crossed slot, star shaped slot, hexagonal slot, straight block, crossed block, star shaped block and hexagonal block, for the positioning of a hand tool operable to rotate said lock screw. 
     
     
         8 . The floating fastener mounting structure as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said lock screw further comprises a locating flange extending around the periphery of said head; said cap member comprises a top center hole press-fitted onto the periphery of said head and stopped above said locating flange, and a locating groove extending around an inner perimeter thereof and forced into engagement with said locating flange of said lock screw. 
     
     
         9 . A floating fastener mounting method, comprising the steps of:
 (a) inserting a mounting socket upwardly into a mounting through hole in a convex wall portion of a metal panel member to have an annular step at an outer perimeter of said mounting socket be stopped at a bottom side of said convex wall portion;   (b) forcing said annular step of said mounting socket into friction engagement with said convex wall portion of said metal panel member;   (c) riveting said mounting socket and said metal panel member to force said convex wall portion of said metal panel member over said annular step of said mounting socket into engagement with said annular locating groove of said mounting socket; and   (d) finishing installation of said metal panel member in said mounting socket.   
     
     
         10 . The floating fastener mounting method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said mounting socket prepared in step (a) is processed to provide a center hole vertically extending through opposing top and bottom sides thereof and an annular locating groove extending around the outer perimeter thereof and abutted against a bottom side of said annular step. 
     
     
         11 . The floating fastener mounting method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said convex wall portion of said metal panel member prepared in step (a) is processed using stamping technique to provide said mounting through hole, and a bottom accommodation space surrounded by said convex wall. 
     
     
         12 . The floating fastener mounting method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said mounting socket prepared in step (a) is processed to provide an external bottom annular flange extending around the outer perimeter in flush with the bottom side thereof and abutted at a bottom side of said annular locating groove, and said annular step of said mounting socket is processed to provide a downwardly and outwardly sloping top surface. 
     
     
         13 . The floating fastener mounting method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein step (c) of riveting said mounting socket and said metal panel member comprising the sub step of placing the temporarily attached said mounting socket and said metal panel member on a worktable of a stamping press in vertical alignment with a negative mold cavity of a stamping die, and the sub step of operating said stamping press to stamp said negative mold cavity of said stamping die onto said mounting socket, striking a bottom edge of said stamping die around said negative mold cavity against said convex wall portion of said metal panel member and forcing said convex wall portion of said metal panel member over said annular step of said mounting socket into engagement with said annular locating groove. 
     
     
         14 . The floating fastener mounting method as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising step (d): mounting a spring member and a lock screw in said mounting socket in a floating manner by inserting said lock screw through a through hole at the center of a transverse partition wall in a vertical center hole of said mounting socket and setting said spring member in said mounting socket around a shank of said lock screw between a head of lock screw and said transverse partition wall of said mounting socket, and then fastening to said shank of said lock screw a C-shaped retainer stoppable below said transverse partition wall. 
     
     
         15 . The floating fastener mounting method as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising step (d): mounting a spring member and a lock screw in said mounting socket in a floating manner by inserting said lock screw through a through hole at the center of a transverse partition wall in a vertical center hole of said mounting socket and setting said spring member in said mounting socket around a shank of said lock screw between a head of lock screw and said transverse partition wall of said mounting socket, and then coupling a cap member at said head of said lock screw to the outer perimeter of said mounting socket for allowing said cap member to be moved up and down with said lock screw relative to said mounting socket between said annular step and a top annular flange at a top side of the outer perimeter of said mounting socket.