Retainer for a cabinet, a drawer, a bin, or furniture

Abstract

A retainer for a cabinet, a drawer, a bin, or furniture, is provided with a body with two portions that are spaced apart from each other and at least one of the two portions is elastically deformable relative to the other portion for compression upon installation between a support surface and a head of a fastener, wherein a slot is formed within the body and sized to receive a shank of the fastener such that the elastically deformable portion is compressed to retain the fastener, and wherein at least one portion of the two portions is at least partially flat to contact the support surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A retainer for a cabinet, a drawer, a bin, or furniture, the retainer comprising a body with two portions that are spaced apart from each other and at least one of the two portions is elastically deformable relative to the other portion for compression upon installation between a support surface and a head of a fastener, wherein a slot is formed within the body and sized to receive a shank of the fastener such that the elastically deformable portion is compressed to retain the fastener, and wherein at least one portion of the two portions is at least partially flat to contact the support surface. 
     
     
         2 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the two portions are angled away from each other. 
     
     
         3 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the two portions has a higher coefficient of friction than the rest of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a tab interconnected to one of the two portions. 
     
     
         5 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises an intermediate portion interconnecting the two spaced apart portions. 
     
     
         6 . The retainer of  claim 5 , wherein the slot is formed through the intermediate portion and the two spaced apart portions. 
     
     
         7 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the body is formed from a sheet of spring steel alloy. 
     
     
         8 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a common thickness. 
     
     
         9 . A kit comprising:
 a knob, pull, or handle;   a fastener with a head and a shank sized to connect to the knob, pull, or handle; and   the retainer of  claim 1  to affix the knob, pull, or handle onto a support surface.   
     
     
         10 . A retainer for a cabinet, a drawer, a bin, or furniture, the retainer comprising a body with two portions that are spaced apart from each other, wherein a slot is formed within the body and sized to receive a shank of a fastener, and wherein at least one of the two portions has a higher coefficient of friction than the other to engage between a fastener head and the retainer upon installation. 
     
     
         11 . The retainer of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the two portions is serrated. 
     
     
         12 . A kit comprising:
 a knob, pull, or handle;   a fastener with a head and a shank sized to connect to the knob, pull, or handle; and   the retainer of  claim 10  to affix the knob, pull, or handle onto a support surface.   
     
     
         13 . A retainer for a cabinet, a drawer, a bin, or furniture, the retainer comprising:
 a body with two portions that are spaced apart from each other and at least one of the two portions is elastically deformable while the other portion is at least partially flat, wherein a slot is formed within the body and sized to receive a shank of a fastener; and   a tab extending from the body, to receive a force for movement of the body such that the at least one of the two portions that is elastically deformable converges towards the other portion underneath a fastener head to engage with the fastener head upon installation.   
     
     
         14 . The retainer of  claim 13 , wherein the tab extends generally perpendicular to the at least partially flat portion. 
     
     
         15 . The retainer of  claim 13 , wherein the tab is concave away from the slot. 
     
     
         16 . The retainer of  claim 13 , wherein the tab has a uniform thickness common with a thickness of the body. 
     
     
         17 . A kit comprising:
 a knob, pull, or handle;   a fastener with a head and a shank sized to connect to the knob, pull, or handle; and   the retainer of  claim 13  to affix the knob, pull, or handle onto a support surface.   
     
     
         18 . A retainer installation method comprising:
 orienting a slot of a retainer with a shank of a fastener extending from a support surface; and   moving the retainer toward the fastener shank such that the fastener shank is received in the slot and at least two portions of the retainer converge upon engagement with a head of the fastener to affix the retainer and the fastener to the support surface.   
     
     
         19 . The retainer installation method of  claim 18 , further comprising applying a manual force to a tab on the retainer to move the retainer. 
     
     
         20 . A retainer removal method comprising:
 installing a retainer according to the method of  claim 18 ; and   moving the retainer in a direction away from the fastener shank to remove the retainer from the fastener shank and the support surface.