Plastic J-hook retainer with rubber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065577-B2
Application number	US-201414163582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A J-hook retainer includes a rigid structural component shaped with a hooked end. A soft rubber section is applied to or molded with the rigid structural component. The J-hook retainer holds a trim fabric in place over a vehicle component frame. Advantageously, the soft rubber section minimizes free play and rattling as well as assisting in avoiding sliding and detachment in case of partial contact between the J-hook retainer and vehicle component frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A J-hook retainer for attaching interior trim to a vehicle component, the J-hook retainer comprising:
a rigid structural component shaped with a hooked end, the hooked end defining a curved section for receiving a vehicle structural component, the rigid structural component including a shank side and a bite side with a protrusion extending from the shank side, the protrusion being a retainer feature that holds the J-hook retainer to a retainer component that is integrated with the vehicle structural component; and
a soft rubber section is disposed over a portion of the rigid structural component.

2. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rubber section is molded to the rigid structural component.

3. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rigid structural component has a flexural modulus greater than 0.5 GPa.

4. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rigid structural component has a flexural modulus from 0.5 GPa to 5 GPa.

5. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rigid structure component comprises a component selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymers.

6. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rigid structure component comprises a component selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene, polyethylene, acetal copolymer, acrylic, nylon, polycarbonate, polyamide, polystyrene, and combinations thereof.

7. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rubber section has a Young's Modulus that is less than 0.5 GPa.

8. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rubber section has a Young's Modulus from about 0.01 GPa to about 0.1 GPa.

9. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rubber section comprises an elastomer.

10. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rubber section comprises a component selected from the group consisting of natural polyisoprene rubbers, synthetic chloroprene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, butyl rubbers, halogenated butyl rubbers, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubbers, ethylene propylene rubber (EPM), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), polyacrylic rubber, silicone rubbers, fluoroelastorners, ethylene-vinyl acetate, and combinations thereof.

11. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rubber section is disposed on the shank side.

12. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rubber section is disposed on the bite side.

13. The J-hook retainer of claim 1 wherein the rigid structural component includes a barbed that interlocks with a barbed end of a vehicle component for holding the J-hook retainer in place.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Braggion Angela
• Atragene Maurizio
• Rossi Marco

Classifications

• Y10T24/30

  Trim molding fastener · CPC title

• Y10T24/309

  Plastic type · CPC title

• B60R13/0206 Primary

  Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings (devices for fastening or securing F16B) · CPC title

• F16B5/0635

  fastened over the edges of the sheets or plates · CPC title

• F16B5/0692

  joining flexible sheets to other sheets or plates or to strips or bars (tent fastenings E04H15/64; coping elements for swimming pools with fixing means for sealing foil E04H4/142; greenhouses of flexible synthetic material A01G9/1407; end or aperture-closing arrangements or devices for sacks or bags B65D33/16) · CPC title