System and method for fastening and locating one vehicle component relative to another vehicle component without using mechanical fasteners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11808296-B2
Application number	US-202017085684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A system includes a first vehicle component and a second vehicle component. The first vehicle component includes a first panel, a T-shaped projection protruding from a mating surface of the first panel, and a locking projection protruding from the mating surface of the first panel. The second vehicle component includes a second panel and a pair of ramped ribs projecting from a non-mating surface of the second panel. The second panel defines a slot that extends through the non-mating surface thereof. The slot includes a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width that is less than the first width. The ramped ribs are disposed on opposite sides of the second portion of the slot. The first vehicle component is configured to be fastened to the second vehicle component and located relative to the second vehicle component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first vehicle component including a first panel, a T-shaped projection protruding from a mating surface of the first panel, and a locking projection protruding from the mating surface of the first panel; and
a second vehicle component including a second panel and a pair of ramped ribs projecting from a non-mating surface of the second panel, the second panel defining a slot that extends through the non-mating surface thereof, the slot including a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width that is less than the first width, the ramped ribs being disposed on opposite sides of the second portion of the slot, wherein the first vehicle component is configured to be fastened to the second vehicle component and located relative to the second vehicle component by positioning the first vehicle component to:
insert the T-shaped projection on the first panel in a first direction through the first portion of the slot in the second panel; and
move the T-shaped projection on the first panel in a second direction from the first portion of the slot in the second panel to the second portion of the slot and along the ramped ribs on the second panel until the locking projection on the first panel is positioned in the first portion of the slot.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein when the T-shaped and locking projections on the first panel are positioned in the slot in the second panel, a mating surface of the second panel engages the mating surface of the first panel and the ramped ribs on the second panel engage the T-shaped projection on the first panel to secure the first vehicle component relative to the second vehicle component in the first direction.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:
the first and second portions of the slot in the second panel are disposed adjacent to first and second longitudinal ends of the slot, respectively;
the T-shaped projection on the first panel has an underside surface that engages top surfaces of the ramped ribs on the second panel; and
adjacent to the second longitudinal end of the slot, a distance between the underside surface of the T-shaped projection and the mating surface of the first panel is approximately equal to a distance between the top surfaces of the ramped ribs and the mating surface of the second panel.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein when the T-shaped and locking projections on the first panel are positioned in the slot in the second panel, the locking projection engages a first longitudinal end of the slot and the T-shaped projection engages a second longitudinal end of the slot to secure the first vehicle component relative to the second vehicle component in the second direction.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein:
the locking projection on the first panel has a first surface that engages the first longitudinal end of the slot in the second panel;
the T-shaped projection on the first panel has a second surface that engages the first longitudinal end of the slot in the second panel; and
a distance between the first and second surfaces is approximately equal to a distance between the first and second longitudinal ends.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the T-shaped projection on the first panel includes a stem and a crossbar, the stem projecting from the mating surface of the first panel, the crossbar being oriented perpendicular to the stem with the stem adjoining a midpoint of the crossbar along a length thereof.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:
the crossbar of the T-shaped projection has a length;
the length of the crossbar is less than the first width of the first portion of the slot in the second panel; and
the length of the crossbar is greater than the second width of the second portion of the slot in the second panel.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the locking projection on the first panel includes at least one ramped surface and a flat surface;
the at least one ramped surface of the locking projection engages a mating surface of the second panel when the T-shaped projection on the first panel is inserted through the first portion of the slot in the second panel; and
the flat surface of the locking projection engages a longitudinal end of the slot in the second panel when the locking projection is positioned in the first portion of the slot.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first panel flexes away from the second panel when the locking projection of the first panel engages the mating surface of the second panel, and the first panel snaps the locking projection into the slot in the second panel when the locking projection is aligned with the slot.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second vehicle components are vehicle trim components.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first vehicle component is a service panel for a fuse block of a vehicle, and the second vehicle component is a glovebox frame of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the slot has a T shape with the first portion of the slot forming a cross member of the T shape and the second portion of the slot forming a stem of the T shape.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first and second portions of the slot in the second panel are disposed adjacent to first and second longitudinal ends of the slot, respectively; and
the ramped ribs on the second panel extend in the second direction from the first portion of the slot to the second longitudinal end of the slot.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the ramped ribs project from the non-mating surface of the second panel by an amount that increases in the second direction.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first direction is perpendicular to the non-mating surface of the second panel; and
the second direction is parallel to a length of the slot in the second panel.

16. A system comprising:
a first vehicle component including a first panel having a mating surface and a non-mating surface opposite of the mating surface, a T-shaped projection protruding from the mating surface of the first panel, and a locking projection protruding from the mating surface of the first panel, the T-shaped projection including a stem and a crossbar oriented perpendicular to the stem; and
a second vehicle component including a second panel having a mating surface and a non-mating surface opposite of the mating surface of the second panel, and a pair of ramped ribs projecting from the non-mating surface of the second panel, the second panel defining a T-shaped slot extending through the mating and non-mating surfaces of the second panel, the T-shaped slot having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end opposite of the first longitudinal end, the T-shaped slot including a first portion disposed adjacent to the first longitudinal end thereof and a second portion disposed adjacent to the second longitudinal end thereof, the first portion of the T-shaped slot having a first width and the second portion of the T-shaped slot having a second width that is less than the first width, wherein the first vehicle component is configured to be fastened to the second vehicle component and located relative to the second vehicle component by positioning the first vehicle component to:
insert the T-shaped projection on the first panel in a first direction through the first portion of the T-shaped slot in the second panel; and
move the T-shaped projection on the first panel in a second direction from the first portion of the T-shaped slot in the second panel to the second portion of the T-shaped slot and along the ramped ribs on the

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Longo Michael J
• Arnold Dennis L

Classifications

• F16B5/0052 Primary

  the interlocking key acting as a dovetail-type key · CPC title

• B60R7/06

  mounted on or below dashboards · CPC title

• B60R13/0256 Primary

  Dashboard liners · CPC title

• B60R13/0206

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

• B60R2013/0293

  Connection or positioning of adjacent panels · CPC title