US 7,497,639 B2
	Insert in the form of a threaded bushing, which is designed to equip and fix plates, for example, glass plates, and plates thus equipped
Pierre Lebot, Toulouse (France); Jean-Clement Nugue, Lamorlaye (France); and Francoise Mennechez, Paris (France)
Assigned to Saint-Gobain Glass France, Courbevoie (France)
Appl. No. 10/534,969 PCT Filed Nov. 17, 2003, PCT No. PCT/FR03/03402 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Oct. 31, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO2004/046567, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 03, 2004.
Claims priority of application No. 02 14517 (FR), filed on Nov. 18, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2006/0147292 A1, Jul. 06, 2006
Int. Cl. F16C 11/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 403—277  [403/131; 403/142]

6 Claims

1. A glass plate and insert assembly comprising: a glass plate including a generally spherical hole having a flat circular bottom, a concave region, a cylindrical region and a frustoconical opening in a surface of the plate, a diameter of the concave region being greater than a diameter of the cylindrical region; a deformable insert having retaining walls forming a through bore with female threads, the walls having radially spaced petals which are inwardly bendable and spaced apart by slots therebetween, the petals each having an outer surface with an outwardly curved region and inward step; the curved region having a greater outer diameter than the inward step to allow the curved region to conform to the concave region, and allow the inward step to abut the cylindrical region, and a peripheral recess formed in a lower peripheral portion of the walls to increase flexibility of the petals; and a connecting element with male threads to threadably engage the female threads and thereby block inward flexing of the petals and lock the insert within the glass plate.