GB2361041A

GB2361041A - An insert for securing a threaded fastener in sheet material

Info

Publication number: GB2361041A
Application number: GB0008233A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harry Francis Cole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-04-03
Filing date: 2000-04-03
Publication date: 2001-10-10
Also published as: GB0008233D0

Abstract

A plastics insert (2) comprises a body (8) which is square in plan which can be inserted into a hole (4) in sheet material (6) (e.g. sheet metal). The body (8) tapers outwardly from a front end (10) towards a rear end (18). A groove (12), for receiving the sheet material (6), extends around an outer face (14) of the body (8) and a bore (16) extends into the body (8) from the rear end (18). Slots (20) extend into the body (8) from the rear end (18), the slots (20) allowing the body (8) to flex inwardly. A threaded fastener can be secured in the bore (16).

Description

2361041 1 AN INSERT FOR INSERTION IN A HOLE IN SHEET METAL This invention

relates to an insert for insertion in a hole in sheet metal.

Difficulties often occur in securing objects to sheet metal due to the f act that the sheet metal is thin. Nuts and bolts are satisfactory when access can be had to both sides of the sheet metal. Where only one side of the sheet metal is accessible, self-tapping screws can be used but they may not provide a sufficiently secure means of attachment where the sheet metal is thin. Of ten a socalled insert is employed which is inserted in a hole in the sheet metal. The insert has a bore which is for receiving a screw threaded fastener whereby the object is able to be secured to the sheet metal via the insert and the screw threaded fastener. The known inserts are often complicated and therefore expensive to manufacture and/or they are dif f icult to insert in the hole in the sheet metal, with the insertion often having to be done with the use of a power tool.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems by providing an insert which is able to be inexpensively manufactured and which is also able to be inserted easily into a hole in sheet metal.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided an insert for insertion into a hole in sheet metal, which insert is made of a 2 plastics material, and which insert comprises a body which is square in plan and which tapers outwardly from a front end of the insert, a groove which extends around an outer face of the body, a bore which extends into the body f rom a rear end of the insert, and slots which extend into the body f rom the rear end of the body, the groove being for receiving the sheet metal such that the insert becomes secured in the sheet metal, the slots being such as to allow the rear end of the insert to f lex inwardly so that the insert is able to be a tight fit in the hole in the sheet metal, and the bore being for receiving a screw threaded fastener whereby an object is able to be secured to the sheet metal via the insert and the screw threaded fastener.

The insert of the present invention is able to be cheaply manufactured because it is made from a plastics material. The plastics material is easily mouldable. Many known inserts are made from metals by a manufa cturing process known as cold heading, which is expensive. With the tapering body and the slots, the insert is easily able to be pressed into the hole in the sheet metal. Power tools are not required.

The insert may be one in which the body tapers outwardly continuously from the front end of the body to the rear end of the body.

Alternatively, the insert may be one in which the body tapers outwardly from the front end of the body to a 3 parallel sided portion of the body, the parallel sided portion of the body extending from the tapering portion to the rear end of the body. The parallel sided portion preferably extends approximately half way along the length of the body from the rear end of the body.

The insert may be one in which the slots extend approximately half way along the length of the body from the rear end of the body. Shorter or longer slots may however be employed.

Preferably, there are four of the slots. With four of the slots, the four sides of the insert are able to reduce in size equally so that the entire rear end of the body is able to reduce in size symmetrically. If desired, more or less than four slots may be used. Thus, for example, there could be two slots for each side of the body. Alternatively, there could be one slot in each of just two opposite sides of the body.

Usually, the bore will be a parallel sided bore. Other types of bore may however be employed so that, for example, the bore could be a tapering bore or a stepped bore.

Also usually, the bore will extend completely through the body. If desired however the bore could be a blind bore.

The bore may be a plain bore. In this case, the screw threaded fastener will usually be a self-tapping screw threaded fastener. The bore may alternatively be a 4 threaded bore for use with a threaded fastener. still further, the bore may have a plain portion adjacent the rear end of the body, and a screw threaded portion adjacent the f ront end of the body.

Preferably, the insert is one in which the body has curved corner edges for ease of insertion of the insert into the hole in the sheet metal. If desired however the corner edges of the body may be sharp.

Preferably, the groove is 0.5mm deep. The groove may be shallower or deeper as may be desired. The width of the groove will be produced to suit the thickness of the sheet metal. Generally, the width of the groove will be the same as the thickness of the sheet metal so that, f or example, f or sheet metal that is imm thick, then the width of the groove would be lmm.

The plastics material is preferably that sold under the trade mark Nylatron GS. Any suitable and appropriate type of plastics material may be employed.

The insert may of any suitable and appropriate size in dependence upon the size of the screw threaded fastener it is to receive. For example, the insert may be 7. Smm x 7. Smm at the f ront end, 9mm x 9mm at the rear end, and 12.5mm long for a screw threaded fastener which is a 6mm fastener.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a f irst insert of the invention; Figure 2 is a rear end view of the insert shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view, partially in section, of the insert shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second insert of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 - 3, there is shown an insert 2 for insertion in a hole 4 in sheet metal 6. The insert 2 is made of a plastics material.

The insert comprises a body 8 which is square in plan and which tapers outwardly from a front end 10 of the insert 2. A groove 12 extends around an outer f ace 14 of the body 8. A bore 16 extends into the body 8 f rom a rear end 18 of the insert 2. Slots 20 extend into the body 8 f rom the rear end 18 of the body 8.

As can be seen f rom Figure 3, the groove 12 is for receiving the sheet metal 6 such that the insert 2 becomes secured in the sheet metal 6. The slots 20 are such as to allow the rear end 18 of the insert 2 to f lex inwardly so that the insert 2 is able to be a tight f it in the hole 4 in the sheet metal 6. The bore 16 is for receiving a screw threaded fastener (not shown) whereby an object (not shown) is able to be secured to the sheet metal 6 via the insert 2 and the screw threaded fastener.

6 As can be seen f rom Figures 1 and 3, the body 8 tapers outwardly continuously from the front end 10 of the body 8 to the rear end 18 of the body 8.

As can be seen f rom Figure 1, the slots 20 extend approximately half way along the length of the body 8 from the rear end 18 of the body 8. There are f our of the slots 20.

The bore 16 is a parallel sided bore 16. The bore 16 extends completely through the body 8. As shown in Figure 1, the bore 16 has a plain portion 22 adjacent the rear end 18 of the body 8, and a screw threaded portion 24 adjacent the f ront end 10 of the body 8.

As shown in Figure 2, the body 8 has curved corner edges 26 for ease of insertion of the insert 2 into the hole 4 in the sheet metal 6.

The insert 2 is made of a under the trade mark Nylatron materials may however be employed. 7.5mm at the front end 10, 9mm x plastics material known G.S. Other plastics The insert 2 is 7.5mm x 9mm at the rear end 18, and 12.5mm long. The groove is 0.5mm deep. Other measurements for the insert 2 may of course be employed.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown an insert 28 which is similar to the insert 2 shown in Figure 1. Similar parts have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. With the insert 28, the body 8 tapers outwardly from the front end 10 of the body 8 to a parallel sided portion 30 of the body 8.

7 The parallel sided portion 30 of the body 8 extends from the tapering portion 32 to the rear end 18 of the body 8. As can be seen from Figure 4, the parallel sided portion extends approximately half way along the length of the body 8 f rom the rear end 18 of the body 8.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the bore 16 may be a completely plain bore 16, or a completely screw threaded bore 16.

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Claims

1. An insert for insertion into a hole in sheet metal, which insert is made of a plastics material, and which insert comprises a body which is square in plan and which tapers outwardly from a front end of the insert, a groove which extends around an outer face of the body, a bore which extends into the body from a rear end of the insert, and slots which extend into the body from the rear end of the body, the groove being for receiving the sheet metal such that the insert becomes secured in the sheet metal, the slots being such as to allow the rear end of the insert to flex inwardly so that the insert is able to be a tight fit in the hole in the sheet metal, and the bore being for receiving a screw threaded fastener whereby an object is able to be secured to the sheet metal via the insert and the screw threaded fastener.

2. An insert according to claim 1 in which the body tapers outwardly continuously from the front end of the body to the rear end of the body.

3. An insert according to claim 1 in which the body tapers outwardly from the front end of the body to a parallel sided portion of the body, the parallel sided portion of the body extending from the tapering portion to the rear end of the body.

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4. An insert according to claim 3 in which the parallel sided portion extends approximately half way along the length of the body from the rear end of the body.

5. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which the slots extend approximately half way along the length of the body f rom the rear end of the body.

6. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are four of the slots.

7. An insert according to any one of claims 1 - 5 in which there are two of the slots.

8. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which the bore is a parallel sided bore.

9. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which the bore extends completely through the body.

10. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which the bore is a plain bore.

11. An insert according to any one of claims 1 - 9 in which the bore is a threaded bore.

12. An insert according to any one of claims 1 - 9 in which the bore has a plain portion adjacent the rear end of the body, and a screw threaded portion adjacent the front end of the body.

13. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body has curved corner edges for ease of insertion of the insert into the hole in the sheet metal.

14. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which the groove is 0. Smm, deep.

15. An insert according to any one of the preceding claims in which the insert is 7.5mm. x 7.5mm. at the front end, 9mm x 9mm at the rear end, and 12. 5mm long.

16. An insert for insertion in a hole in sheet metal, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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