Assembly for locating and coupling components together

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11280360-B2
Application number	US-201916590433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 2, 2019
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

An assembly for coupling a first component with a second component. The assembly may comprise first and second connectors respectively associated with the first and second components, a first biasing member carried by either the first or second connector, and a second biasing member also carried by either the first connector or the second connector. When mated together, the first and second connectors are biased in a first direction by the first biasing member thereby constraining relative movement between the connectors in the first direction. The connectors are also biased in a second direction by the second biasing member thereby constraining relative movement between the connectors in the second direction, wherein the second direction is oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the first direction. And the connectors are relatively slidable in a third direction different from the first and second directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for coupling a first component with a second component, comprising:
a first connector associated with the first component and having a body that includes a first face and a second face, and a second connector associated with the second component and configured to be mated with the first connector, the second connector having a body that includes a first face, a second face, and a slot disposed therein extending through the first and second faces and configured to receive at least a portion of the body of the first connector, the slot having first and second spaced-apart sidewalls; and
a first biasing member carried by the first connector or the second connector, and a second biasing member carried by the first connector or the second connector, the first biasing member and second biasing member being flexible and resilient;
wherein when the first and second connectors are mated together:
the first biasing member is resiliently flexed against an adjacent surface and the first and second connectors are biased in a first direction by the first biasing member thereby constraining relative movement between the first and second connectors in the first direction;
the second biasing member is resiliently flexed against an adjacent surface and the first and second connectors are biased in a second direction by the second biasing member thereby constraining relative movement between the first and second connectors in the second direction, wherein the second direction is oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the first direction, and
the first and second connectors are relatively slidable in a third direction different from the first and second directions.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first biasing member is carried by and is movable relative to the first face of the body of the first connector.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second biasing member is carried by and is movable relative to the first connector and extends outwardly from the second face of the body of the first connector.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein first biasing member is carried by the second connector and extends outwardly from the first face of the body of the second connector and a third biasing member extends outwardly from the second face of the body of the second connector.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second biasing member is carried by the second connector and extends into the slot in the body of the second connector from one of the first and second sidewalls of the slot.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , which also comprises a third biasing member arranged oppositely to the first biasing member, and when the first and second connectors are mated together, the first biasing member is engaged with and resiliently flexed against the first face of the second connector and the third biasing member is engaged with and resiliently flexed against the second face of the second connector.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein multiple first and third biasing members are provided with each configured to engage the first face or second face of the second connector.

8. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first and third biasing members comprises at least one radiused engagement portion that is configured to engage the first face or second face of the second connector.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second biasing member comprises at least one radiused portion.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first direction in which the first and second connectors are biased is substantially perpendicular to the second direction in which the first and second connectors are biased.

11. An assembly for coupling a first component with a second component, comprising:
a first connector associated with the first component and having a body that includes a first face and a second face, and a second connector associated with the second component and configured to be mated with the first connector, the second connector having a body that includes a first face, a second face, and a slot disposed therein extending through the first and second faces and configured to receive at least a portion of the body of the first connector, the slot having first and second spaced-apart sidewalls; and
a first biasing member carried by the first connector or the second connector, the first biasing member being flexible and resilient and having an engagement portion movable relative to the body of the first connector or the second connector, and a second biasing member carried by the first connector or the second connector the second biasing member being flexible and resilient and having an engagement portion movable relative to the body of the first connector or the second connector,
wherein when the first and second connectors are mated together:
the engagement portion of the first biasing member engages an adjacent surface and a biasing force is applied to the first and second connectors in a first direction by the first biasing member thereby constraining relative movement between the first and second connectors in the first direction; the engagement portion of the second biasing member engages an adjacent surface and a biasing force is applied to the first and second connectors in a second direction by the second biasing member thereby constraining relative movement between the first and second connectors in the second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and
the first and second connectors are relatively slidable in a third direction that is substantially perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the slot in the body of the second connector has an open end and a closed end remote from the open end and defined by a base extending between the first and second sidewalls of the slot.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first biasing member is carried by the first face of the body of the first connector, and when the first and second connectors are mated together, the first biasing member is engaged with and provides a biasing force on the first face of the second connector and a third biasing member carried by the first face of the body of the first connector is engaged with and provides a biasing force on the second face of the second connector.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein multiple first and third biasing members are provided on the first connector.

15. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first and third biasing members comprise at least one radiused engagement portion that is configured to engage the first face or the second face of the second connector.

16. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second biasing member comprises at least one radiused portion.

17. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second biasing member is carried by the first connector and extends outwardly from the second face of the body of the first connector.

18. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first biasing member is carried by the first face of the body of the first connector, and the second biasing member is carried by the first connector and extends outwardly from the second face of the body of the first connector.

19. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second biasing member is carried by the second connector and extends into the slot in the body of the second connector from one of the first and second sidewalls of the slot.

20. The assembly of claim 11

Assignees

• Williams Ian R
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Williams Ian R

Classifications

• F16B2/245

  external, i.e. with contracting action · CPC title

• F16B2/20 Primary

  Clips, i.e. with gripping action effected solely by the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening · 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

• F16B5/12

  Fastening strips or bars to sheets or plates, e.g. rubber strips, decorative strips for motor vehicles, by means of clips (friction- grip releasable fastenings in general F16B2/00; fastening rods or tubular parts to flat surfaces at an angle F16B9/00) · CPC title

• F16B5/0614

  in angled relationship · CPC title