US2861820A - Resilient tube to plate connection - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 25, 1958 J. H. ANDERSON- 2,361,820

RESILIENT TUBE TO PLATE CONNECTION Filed Feb. e, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

fickFfWexmv ATTORNEY United States Patent '0 1 Claim. (Cl. 285-189) This invention relates to fasteners and more particularly to tube and plate assemblies in each of which a tube is to be held with one end abutting a support plate. In instruments for use on the instrument panel of an automobile, it is conventional practice to employ illuminating devices so that indicating symbols or colors may be easily and attractively discernable. This has often necessitated the localizing of light by means of a tube which serves to guide or direct the light beams from an opening in a plate to a restricted area forming a lens, dial or other portion of an instrument.

In the rapid assembly of such devices the light directing tubes must be placed quickly and effectively in retained positions on the plates. In the past it has been the practice to provide a given plate with four prongs which extend outwardly from the plate and which are inclined slightly from a normal to the plate whereby when a tube end is slipped over the prongs, frictional contact between the ends of the prongs and the tube Wall will hold the tube in its proper position. With such an assembly the method for placing the parts together necessarily consists in temporarily restraining the prongs against their resiliency so that the tube may be slipped over them. Release of the prongs then causes their positive engagement with the inside surface of the tube. Not only must the prongs be restrained properly to receive the tube, but the tube must be placed over the prongs carefully. In quantity production it may be that the prongs are not sufficiently restrained or the tube is not accurately placed over the prongs. In either event the tube, especially if it i made of paper, is easily mashed or unduly distorted by contact with one or more of the prongs and the end product is not as satisfactory as would be desirable.

It has now been found as a result of the present invention that the speed of assembly may be greatly increased with a considerable saving in costs and each tube may be held to a plate more rigidly than heretofore and with a great reduction in the possibility of distorting or tearing the tube material.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved fastening for a tube and plate assembly. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tube and plate assembly in which a tube end is held in rigid and abutting relation with a plate.

To these ends, a feature of the present invention is a supporting member having prongs extending from one side thereof and lying in substantially parallel planes, each prong having oppositely directed projections arranged to engage the inside surface of a tube. Another feature is a fastening comprising T-shaped prongs with corner portions and sloping edges for engaging a tube when forming an assembly. Another feature is a tube and plate assembly in which flat prongs extend from a plate and are provided with diverging corner portions gripping the inside wall surface of a tube.

These and other important features of the invention will now be described in detail in the specification and 2,861,820 Patented Nov. 25, 1958 then pointed out more particularly in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a tube and plate assembly constituting one embodiment of the present. invention and the tube being shown in section better to illustrate the construction;

Fig. 2 is a view in section and taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a fastener and tube aligned for assembly as a unit.

In the drawings, a supporting member or plate 10 having an opening 12 therein is illustrated without the accompanying parts of an instrument. For directing light beams in many forms of installations an electric light bulb, not shown in the drawings, is so mounted that its curved glass portion extends into the opening 12 with its socket on the side of the plate opposite that on which a tube 14 is held. The tube 14 is provided with one end held in abutting relation to the plate 10 and surrounding the opening 12 so that light beams from the bulb may be guided from the opening 12 and through the tube 14 to a dial or other portion of an instrument upon which the light is to be localized.

Formed integral with the metal plate 10 and at the opposite sides of the opening 12 are two prongs 16 and 18. These project from one side 20 of the plate 10 and are T-shaped. These prongs are similar in construction with one end of each prong being substantially triangular in shape with corner portions 20 and 22 spaced from the side 20 and a curved portion 24 for first engaging the tube 14, as will further appear. The corner portions of the two prongs 16 and 18 are annularly spaced in such a way as properly to grip the inside surface 26 of the tube 14 after assembly has taken place.

In forming the assembly, the tube 14 is held between the fingers, as shown in Fig. 3, or by other means, and distorted slightly from the cylindrical form so that the tube may be easily slipped over the tube prongs 16 and 18 until the end of the tube abuts the plate 10. Release of the tube then causes the latter to regain its normal cylindrical configuration and the proportions of the tube and prongs, a well as the spacing of the prongs, are such that the corners on the prongs grip the inside surface of the tube and rigidly hold the latter in position on the plate. The corners 20 and 22 imbed themselves to a slight extent in the tube material giving a firm attachment.

The curved end 24 of a given prong is not essential but it is preferred as it minimizes the possibility of ma hing the tube material in the event that the tube is inaccurately placed on the prongs. The slope of the sides on each prong is such as to aid in the alignment of the tube with the prongs as well as with the opening 12. The prongs may be very rigid in construction as no preliminary distortion of the same is necessary for making the assembly. It is to be understood that either the tube or the prongs or only the prongs may be made resilient for the purpose of practicing the invention. If the tube is not distorted, as in Fig. 3, the sloping sides of each prong may serve as piloting means in bringing the parts into proper alignment. In such an event, more than two prongs may be used in a given assembly although two prongs have been found to be adequate in practice.

It will be appreciated that fasteners or assemblies of the type herein disclosed may have a wide variety of uses and need not be associated with or limited to the instrument field.

I claim:

A tube and plate assembly for directing light beams comprising a supporting plate having an opening therein for the passage of said beams through said plate, a single pair of substantially flat prongs integral with said plate and bodily lying in substantially parallel planes extending substantially'normal to one surface of said plate and at opposite sides of said opening, each of said prongs haying outen edges diverging towardv said plate, aid,

edges terminating in oppositely directed, corner portions that are spaeed from said plate, and a flexible cylindrical tube, positioned with one endtabutting said plate around said; opening and. with said corner portions of said prongs gripping the inner surface of said tube to maint ain said tube invposition, the spacing of aid prongs being such that the corner portionsof said prongs imbed themselves in the inner surface of said tube when said tube is in its normal: undistorted form but permit the passage of said tube over said prongs and into position when said tube is distorted and'expanded' along a line between said prongs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,051,427. McCluskey Jan. 28, 1913 1,800,173 Anderson Apr. 7', 1931 2,409,508 Miller Oct. 15, 1946 2,531,911 Johnson Nov. 28, 1950 2,623,431 Scheurmann Dec. 30, 1952 2,727,762 Ziegler Dec. 20, 1955

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