Heat stake attachment feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10688943-B2
Application number	US-201514839306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A retainer for limited space attachment of a vehicle part with a class A surface to a vehicle. The retainer has a low profile portion and also an attachment base operable for being connected to heat stake ribs of the vehicle part. The attachment base includes at least one attachment aperture to provide attachment with the heat stake ribs. There is provided desired degrees of clip float and/or two-way limited clip float providing desired free movement of the clip when desired.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A doghouse retainer arrangement, comprising:
a securing portion operable for being connected to a vehicle;
at least two molded heat stake retention ribs formed on a part for a vehicle; and
an attachment base operably coupled to the securing portion, said attachment base including at least two attachment apertures with smooth parallel elongated sidewalls and that are not serrated and smooth parallel end walls, said at least two molded heat stake retention ribs are angled having a shorter length at the top that extends through the corresponding aperture and longest length at the bottom operable to provide alignment and positioning through corresponding apertures of greater length than said top of each molded heat stake retention rib, respectively, said at least two molded heat stake retention ribs received in the at least two attachment apertures and securing the connection to the part, said at least two attachment apertures arranged along a central longitudinal axis effective to provide a high force to failure result to assure robustness and retention and to allow tolerances in robotic assembly and minimize scrap, said securing portion including a base that has a flat upper surface and flat lower surface abutting said attachment base and including a foam washer.

2. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the attachment base is a spring steel carrier including a raised low profile doghouse portion having a keyhole for receiving the securing portion.

3. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 2 , further comprising a pair of walls that provide height to the raised low profile doghouse portion.

4. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 2 , further comprising an aperture formed on the vehicle, wherein the securing portion is a clip for connecting to the vehicle by press fitting into the aperture.

5. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the clip is a nylon winged clip.

6. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the keyhole is a rounded keyhole for 360 degrees of float of the clip.

7. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the keyhole is a slotted keyhole to limit float of the clip to two directions.

8. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the keyhole includes two or more fingers that are deflectable for insertion and retention of the clip within the keyhole.

9. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the clip further includes opposing float limiters for limiting clip float to predetermined desired directions.

10. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the clip further includes a reduced diameter portion that is received in the keyhole and is smaller than the keyhole to allow positioning movement of the clip during assembly to account for any variance in tolerances.

11. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the clip further includes a clip base that is larger than the reduced diameter portion of the clip.

12. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the attachment base also includes opposing turned up carrier walls to improve carrier flatness following austempering processing.

13. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the attachment base includes two or more attachment portions, each attachment portion having a respective one of the attachment apertures receiving a plurality of the heat stake retention ribs.

14. A retainer arrangement, comprising:
at least one aperture formed on a vehicle;
a securing portion operable for being connected to the vehicle;
a foam washer;
a plurality of heat stake retention ribs formed on a part for a vehicle;
an attachment base operably coupled to the securing portion;
at least two attachment portions of the attachment base, each attachment portion including a respective attachment aperture arranged along a central longitudinal axis of the attachment base in an inline design effective to provide an engineered tensile failure mode, said plurality of heat stake retention ribs received in the attachment apertures and secure a connection to the part, wherein said plurality of heat stake retention ribs are angled, each have a shorter length at the top that extends through the corresponding aperture and longer length at the bottom operable to provide alignment and positioning through said respective attachment aperture of greater length than said top of each heat stake retention rib, respectively, and
wherein the attachment apertures of the attachment base each comprise smooth parallel end walls without a positioning tab and smooth parallel elongated sidewalls and do not include serrations.

15. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the securing portion is a winged clip and the attachment base is a spring steel carrier including a raised low profile doghouse portion having a keyhole for receiving the winged clip.

16. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the keyhole is a rounded or a slotted keyhole for desired float of the winged clip.

17. The doghouse retainer arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the winged clip further comprises:
a reduced diameter portion that is received in the keyhole;
a clip base that is larger than the reduced diameter portion of the clip and has a flat upper surface or flat lower surface abutting said attachment base; and
the foam washer.

18. A method for attaching a part to a vehicle using a doghouse retainer arrangement, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of heat stake retention ribs formed on the part said plurality of heat stake retention ribs including angled ends, such that each heat stake retention rib are angled and have the shortest length at the top that extends through the corresponding aperture and longest length at the bottom, said top length operable to provide alignment and positioning through corresponding apertures of greater length than the top of each heat stake retention rib, respectively;
providing an aperture on a vehicle;
providing a securing portion that is a clip operable for being connected to the aperture of the vehicle and including a foam washer;
providing an attachment base that is a spring steel carrier including a raised low profile doghouse portion having a keyhole for receiving the clip;
providing at least two attachment portions of the attachment base, each of said attachment portions including an elongated attachment aperture with smooth vertical end walls and smooth parallel elongated vertical sidewalls having no serrations,
pushing the plurality of heat stake retention ribs through the attachment apertures, respectively, and heat staking the ribs for securing the connection to the part; and
pushing the clip into the aperture of the vehicle to connect the part and retainer arrangement to the vehicle.

Assignees

• Magna Int Inc

Inventors

• Bachelder Theodore J
• Gignilliat Michael S

Classifications

• 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

• F16B2/22

  of resilient material, e.g. rubbery material {(F16B2/205 takes precedence)} · CPC title