Elastic retaining arrangement for jointed components and method of reducing a gap between jointed components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9067625-B2
Application number	US-201313859109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2013
Priority date	Apr 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2015
Grant date	Jun 30, 2015

Abstract

A retaining arrangement includes a first component having a first main body portion and a first interface edge. Also included is a second component operatively coupled to the first component, the second component comprising a second main body portion, a second interface edge in contact with the first interface edge, and an end portion in an overlapped configuration with the first main body portion of the first component. Further included is an aperture defined by an aperture wall and extending through the end portion of the second component. Yet further included is an elastically deformable protrusion extending away from the first main body portion of the first component, the elastically deformable protrusion configured to fittingly engage the aperture proximate an end region of the aperture wall, wherein the elastically deformable protrusion is formed of an elastically deformable material and configured to elastically deform upon engagement with the aperture wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elastic retaining arrangement for jointed components comprising:
a first component having a first main body portion and a first interface edge;
a second component operatively coupled to the first component, the second component comprising a second main body portion, a second interface edge in contact with the first interface edge, and an end portion in an overlapped configuration with the first main body portion of the first component;
an aperture extending through the end portion of the second component and defined by an aperture wall; and
an elastically deformable protrusion extending from the first main body portion of the first component, the elastically deformable protrusion configured to fittingly engage the aperture proximate an end region of the aperture wall, wherein the elastically deformable protrusion is formed of an elastically deformable material and configured to elastically deform upon engagement with the aperture wall;
the elastic retaining arrangement comprising a carpet retainer and a mating trim panel disposed in a vehicle.

2. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable protrusion is a tubular member having a hollow portion.

3. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the tubular member comprises a sloped region proximate a distal end of the tubular member.

4. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the aperture comprises a slot having a slot width, and wherein the elastically deformable protrusion comprises a protrusion width greater than the slot width.

5. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of elastically deformable protrusions and a plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures defined by a plurality of aperture walls.

6. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 5 , further comprising a fully engaged position of the first interface edge and the second interface edge, wherein an amount of deformation of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions is averaged in aggregate relative to each other.

7. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the fully engaged position comprises a retaining force exerted on each of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions by the end region of each of the plurality of aperture walls.

8. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of elastically deformable protrusions is integrally formed with a main face of the first component.

9. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a first clip operatively coupled to, and extending from, the first main portion of the first component.

10. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 9 , wherein the first clip extends through a clip retaining slot of the second component and engages the end portion of the second component.

11. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a second clip operatively coupled to the first component and configured to retain the end portion of the second component.

12. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable protrusion comprises a circular tubular member.

13. The elastic retaining arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable protrusion comprises a triangular tubular member.

Assignees

• Gm Global Technolgoy Operations Llc
• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Morris Steven E
• Kushner James M
• Enyedy Victoria L
• Lawall Jennifer P
• Ogonek Piotr J

Classifications

• Y10T403/7039

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16B5/0657

  at least one of the plates providing a raised structure, e.g. of the doghouse type, for connection with the clamps or clips of the other plate · CPC title

• B62D27/023 Primary

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title

• F16B19/002

  Resiliently deformable pins (F16B21/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16B5/0056 Primary

  by moving the sheets, plates or panels or the interlocking key perpendicular to the main plane · CPC title