Panel fastener

Abstract

A panel fastener has a casing, a hook, and cam assembly. The hook and cam assembly has a metallic hook and a cam assembly. The hook has a round cam mounting hole and two opposing side surfaces. The cam assembly has a round cam plate that includes a central camming portion conforming with the cam mounting hole. The cam plate also has an offset cam shaft formed with a socket. The cam assembly also has a metal spring plate coupled to the cam plate. The spring plate has two, peripheral wiper portions and a bearing portion positioned between the two wiper portions to form two clearing gaps therebetween. The wiper portions are positioned to scrape debris from the hook during rotation of the spring plate.

1 . A panel fastener for insulated panels comprising:
 a pair of sidewalls each having a boss therethrough;   a hook having a round cam mounting hole therethrough and a catch extending past said pair of sidewalls, and   a cam assembly coupled to said hook, said cam assembly having a cam plate with a camming portion positioned within said round cam engagement hole and a spring plate coupled to said cam plate, said spring plate having two peripheral debris wiper portions and a peripheral bearing portion positioned between said two peripheral debris wiper portions, said debris wiper portions being positioned to scrape said hook upon rotation of said spring plate, said peripheral bearing portion bearing upon said hook about said round cam mounting hole,   whereby contact between the spring plate and the hook causes frictional contact sufficient to rotate the hook through rotation of the cam assembly, and whereby the debris wiper portions clear debris from the hook as the cam assembly is rotated relative to the hook.   
     
     
         2 . The panel fastener for insulated panels of  claim 1  further comprising a stop extending from said hook, and wherein said spring plate is configured so that said two peripheral debris wiper portions may abut said stop. 
     
     
         3 . The panel fastener for insulated panels of  claim 1  wherein said cam plate includes a peripheral flange extending from said camming portion and configured to abut said hook about said round cam mounting hole. 
     
     
         4 . The panel fastener for insulated panels of  claim 1  wherein said peripheral bearing portion includes a bulge extending towards said hook for abutting engagement with said hook. 
     
     
         5 . A panel fastener for insulated panels comprising:
 a casing, and   a hook assembly coupled to said casing, said hook assembly including a hook having a cam mounting hole therethrough and a catch, said hook assembly also including a cam assembly coupled to said hook, said cam assembly having a spring plate coupled to said hook for resistive movement of said spring plate relative to said hook, said spring plate having at least one debris wiper portion flush with said hook and a peripheral bearing portion adjacent said at least one debris wiper portion and in abutment with said hook adjacent said cam mounting hole,   whereby abutment between the spring plate and the hook causes frictional contact sufficient to rotate the hook through rotation of the cam assembly, and whereby the debris wiper portion clears debris from the surface of the hook in the path of the bearing portion as the cam assembly is rotated relative to the hook.   
     
     
         6 . The panel fastener for insulated panels of  claim 5  wherein said at least one debris wiper portion comprises two debris wiper portions wherein said peripheral bearing portion is positioned between said two debris wiper portions. 
     
     
         7 . The panel fastener for insulated panels of  claim 5  further comprising a stop extending from said hook, and wherein said spring plate is configured so that said peripheral debris wiper portion may abut said stop. 
     
     
         8 . The panel fastener for insulated panels of  claim 5  wherein said cam assembly includes a cam plate coupled to said spring plate, and wherein said cam plate includes a peripheral flange extending from said camming portion and configured to abut said hook about said round cam mounting hole oppositely disposed from said spring plate relative to said hook. 
     
     
         9 . The panel fastener for insulated panels of  claim 5  wherein said peripheral bearing portion includes a bulge extending towards said hook for abutting engagement with said hook.