Single snap-in mount

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025368120-A1
Application number	US-202418677015-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2024
Priority date	May 29, 2024
Publication date	Dec 4, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An assembly includes a base plate with a plurality of apertures and an attachment structure comprising a base body with a plurality of resilient arms coupled to the base body. The base body is associated with an accessory that is attachable to the base plate. Each resilient arm includes at least one snap tab that is selectively moveable between a locked position where the base body is locked to the base plate within a single aperture of the plurality of apertures and an unlocked position wherein the base body is removeable from the base plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly, comprising:
a base plate including a plurality of apertures; and an attachment structure comprising a base body with a plurality of resilient arms coupled to the base body, wherein the base body is associated with an accessory that is attachable to the base plate, and wherein each resilient arm includes at least one snap tab that is selectively moveable between a locked position where the base body is locked to the base plate within a single aperture of the plurality of apertures and an unlocked position wherein the base body is removeable from the base plate.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of resilient arms comprises a pair of resilient arms that are selectively compressible in a direction towards the base body to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.

3 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pair of resilient arms are immediately adjacent to each other relative to the base body.

4 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pair of resilient arms are on opposite sides of the base body from each other.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a plurality of mounting apertures, a plurality of locking apertures, and a plurality of power interface apertures, and wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in sub-groups comprised of repeating patterns, and wherein each sub-group includes a plurality of mounting apertures, a plurality of locking apertures, and at least one power interface aperture.

6 . The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the single aperture comprises one of the plurality of locking apertures, and wherein the base body locks the accessory to the base plate.

7 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the accessory comprises a flat plate with a plurality of tabs that are insertable into the plurality of mounting apertures, and wherein the flat plate is configured to hold one or more items.

8 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the base plate comprises at least a first base plate and a second base plate, and wherein the at least one snap tab comprises a first shoulder formed on each resilient arm, and including at least one second shoulder formed on each resilient arm that is spaced from the first shoulder along a length of each resilient arm, and wherein the first shoulder cooperates with the first base plate comprising a first thickness, and the second shoulder cooperates with the second base plate comprising a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.

9 . The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the single aperture comprises one of the plurality of mounting apertures, and wherein the base body includes an accessory mount interface to which the accessory is selectively attachable.

10 . The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the base body comprises a polygonal shape having at least a first side, a second side opposite of the first side, a third side connecting the first side and second side together, and a fourth side connecting the first side and second side together and which is opposite the third side.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of resilient arms comprises at least a first arm and a second arm that each comprise a first portion extending away from the base body in a first direction and a connecting portion that transitions from the first portion into a second portion that extends in a second direction opposite from the first direction, and wherein the second portion is compressible toward the first portion to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the at least one snap tab extends outwardly of the second portion in a direction towards an edge of the single aperture.

13 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the at least one snap tab comprises at least a first snap tab and a second snap tab that is spaced from the first snap tab, and wherein the first snap tab is engageable with an upper surface of the base plate and the second snap tab is engageable with a lower surface of the base plate.

14 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first arm is on the first side and the second arm is on one of the third side and the fourth side, and including walls that extend from each of the second side and the other of the third side and the fourth side, wherein each wall extends in the first direction and terminates at a transversely extending flange that abuts against an edge of the single aperture.

15 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first arm is on the first side and the second arm is on the second side, and including walls that extend from each of the third side and the fourth side, wherein each wall extends in the first direction and terminates at a transversely extending flange that abuts against an edge of the single aperture.

16 . The assembly of claim 11 , including a first wall and a second wall that extend away from the base body in the first direction, and wherein the first arm, the second arm, the first wall, and the second wall are circumferentially separated from each other by open gaps.

17 . A method comprising:
providing a base plate with a plurality of mounting apertures, a plurality of lock apertures that are separate from the plurality of mounting apertures, and a plurality of power interface apertures that are separate from the plurality of lock apertures and the plurality of mounting apertures; forming an attachment structure to comprise a base body with a plurality of resilient arms coupled to the base body, wherein the base body is associated with an accessory that is attachable to the base plate, and wherein each resilient arm includes at least one snap tab; and selectively moving the at least one snap tab between a locked position where the base body is locked within a single aperture of the plurality of mounting apertures and an unlocked position wherein the base body is removeable from the base plate.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of resilient arms comprises a pair of resilient arms, and including selectively compressing the pair of resilient arms in a direction towards the base body to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.

19 . The method of claim 18 , including locating the pair of resilient arms immediately adjacent to each other relative to the base body, or locating the pair of resilient arms on opposite sides of the base body from each other.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the single aperture comprises one of the plurality of lock apertures, and wherein the base body locks the accessory to the base plate; or wherein the single aperture comprises one of the plurality of mounting apertures, and wherein the base body includes an accessory mount interface to which the accessory is selectively attachable.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Nugent Blaise
• Rakus Todd
• Salter Stuart C
• Rutman Matthew B
• Levine Eric Scott
• Diamond Brendan

Classifications

• B60P7/0815 Primary

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