Assembly, a clip assembly for retaining a conduit and a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10363891-B2
Application number	US-201715459850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A clip assembly includes a support defining an opening and a clip attachable to the support. The clip includes a body configured to retain a conduit and a retention member extending from the body and having a first portion inserted through the opening to attach the clip to the support and a second portion engaging the support inside the opening to prevent rotation of the clip relative to the support. The retention member is movable between an initial position from which the first portion of the retention member elastically deforms as the first portion is inserted into the opening and a final position at which the first portion of the retention member has elastically deformed back toward an original configuration once the first portion has passed beyond the opening such that the second portion engages the support inside the opening to prevent rotation of the clip relative to the support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising:
a support defining an opening;
a clip attachable to the support via the opening, with the clip including a body;
a retention member extending from the body and having a first portion inserted through the opening to attach the body to the support and a second portion directly engaging the support inside the opening to prevent rotation of the body relative to the support; and
wherein the retention member includes a tab and the retention member is movable between an initial position from which the first portion of the retention member elastically deforms from an original configuration as the tab is inserted into the opening and a final position at which the first portion of the retention member has elastically deformed back toward the original configuration once the tab has passed beyond the opening such that the second portion directly engages the support at a plurality of spaced apart locations inside the opening to prevent the rotation of the body relative to the support.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the retention member includes a distal end spaced from the body, with the first portion of the retention member disposed closer to the distal end than the body;
the tab extends outwardly from the first portion;
the tab includes a sloped surface increasing in thickness as the sloped surface extends away from the distal end; and
the first portion of the retention member deforms along the sloped surface when the first portion is in the initial position, and the first portion of the retention member deforms back toward the original configuration when the sloped surface passes beyond the opening to the final position such that the second portion directly engages the support inside the opening.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the clip includes a stop extending from a same side of the body as the retention member, with the stop configured to limit movement of the retention member through the opening.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the stop is further defined as a plurality of stops spaced from each other, and wherein the retention member is disposed between the stops.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein:
each of the stops includes an outer edge spaced from the body, with the outer edge of the stops engageable with the support to limit movement of the retention member through the opening;
each of the stops includes a respective plurality of side edges each adjoining the respective outer edge and the body; and
the side edges of the stops each have a tapered surface to create a space configured to assist in detaching the clip from the support.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the retention member is further defined as an elongated member having a first side and a second side opposing each other;
the first side includes a flat portion, and the tab extends from the first side;
the second side includes a flat portion; and
the opening of the support is defined by a periphery having a plurality of sides and a plurality of ends cooperating with the sides, with the flat portion of the second side directly engaging one of the sides of the periphery and the flat portion of the first side directly engaging another one of the sides of the periphery when in the final position.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein:
the clip includes a plurality of stops extending from a same side of the body as the retention member;
the elongated member is disposed between the stops; and
the elongated member is disposed in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to an orientation of the stops.

8. The assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein:
the elongated member is further defined as a plurality of elongated members having the first and second sides;
the clip includes a plurality of stops extending from a same side of the body as the retention member;
the stops are disposed between the elongated members; and
the elongated members and the stops are disposed in a substantially parallel orientation relative to each other.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the retention member is further defined as an elongated member having a first side and a second side opposing each other;
the tab extends from the second side;
the first side includes a concave portion and the second side includes a convex portion;
the opening of the support is defined by a periphery having a plurality of sides and a plurality of ends cooperating with the sides, with the sides of the periphery substantially parallel to each other; and
the first side of the elongated member directly engages one of the sides of the periphery and the second side of the elongated member directly engages another one of the sides of the periphery when in the final position.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein:
the clip includes a plurality of stops extending from a same side of the body as the retention member;
the elongated member is disposed between the stops; and
the elongated member is disposed in a transverse orientation relative to an orientation of the stops.

11. The assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein:
the elongated member is further defined as a plurality of elongated members having the first and second sides;
the tab is further defined as a plurality of tabs, with one of the tabs extending from the second side of one of the elongated members and another one of the tabs extending from the second side of another one of the elongated members;
the first side of each of the elongated members includes the concave portion and the second side of each of the elongated members includes the convex portion; and
the elongated members are disposed in a transverse orientation relative to each other.

12. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the retention member is further defined as a plurality of retention members spaced from each other, each of the retention members including a respective first portion and a respective second portion, each of the retention members extend to a respective distal end and each of the retention members is movable between the initial and final positions;
the tab is further defined as a plurality of tabs, with each respective retention member including a single respective one of the plurality of tabs extending from the first portion of the respective retention member;
the respective tabs each include a sloped surface increasing in thickness as the respective sloped surface extends away from the respective distal end;
the respective first portions of the retention members each deform along the sloped surface of the respective retention members when the first portion of the retention members are in the initial position, and the respective first portions of the retention members each deform back toward the original configuration when the sloped surface of the respective retention members passes beyond the opening to the final position such that the second portion of the respective retention members directly engages the support inside the opening;
the retention members are further defined as a first tube and a second tube spaced from the first tube;
the first and second tubes each include the distal end, one of the tabs and the first and second portions; and
the first and second tubes each include an outer surface and an inner surface opposing the respective outer surface, with the outer surface of the respective tubes surrounding the inner surface of the respective tubes, and with one of the tabs extending from the outer surface of the respective tubes.

13. The assembly as set fo

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Zaldivar Ortiz Laura Nathaly
• Perez-Ruiz Alejandro
• Morris Steven E
• Vazquez Flores Fausto Eleazar
• Mejia Arriaga Joel
• Rodriguez Lopez Marcos

Classifications

• F16L3/237

  for two pipes · CPC title

• F16L3/1075

  with two members, the two members being joined with a hinge on one side and fastened together on the other side · CPC title

• B60R16/08 Primary

  fluid · CPC title

• B60R16/0215

  Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor · CPC title