Importance

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Abstract

An improved fastening element for securement within an opening and of the type comprising (a) a head portion; (b) a connecting portion comprising a longitudinally extending body portion including a pair of opposed pillar-like parts, for insertion into such opening; and (c) at the end of said connecting portion remote from the head portion, locking means movable between a collapsed position in which the fastening element is insertable into the opening and an expanded position in which the locking means is effective in cooperation with an elongated retaining element inserted into the connecting portion to preclude removal of the fastening element from the opening. The improvement of the invention resides in the locking means which comprises: (i) a pair of substantially rigid arms pivotally connected to said pillar-like parts at radial locations substantially adjacent to or within the radius of the body portion in the expanded position and whose proximal end portions are cantilevered for engagement with the elongated retaining element and disposed to pivot with respect to each other in a plane which includes the longitudinal axis of said body portion, whereby the arms are movable toward each other to a collapsed position and away from each other to an expanded position; and (ii) a pair of substantially rigid arms, each pivotally connected to one of arms (i) and pivotally connected to each other on the longitudinal axis of the body portion for engagement with the elongated retaining element, whereby such arms (ii) are movable toward each other to a collapsed position and away from each other to an expanded position. Each arm is substantially longer than the maximum transverse dimension of the body portion. The arms (i) and (ii) are conjointly movable in symmetric pantographic configuration between the collapsed and expanded positions in a plane which includes the longitudinal axis of the body portion.

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First Claim