Arrangement for securing an inner trim panel to a vehicle substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9216703-B2
Application number	US-201314132241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Jan 7, 2013
Publication date	Dec 22, 2015
Grant date	Dec 22, 2015

Abstract

An arrangement for securing an inner panel to a vehicle substrate uses a securing clip mounted to a clip housing in an elongate hole with a closed end and an open end. The inner diameter of a securing region in the elongate hole is greater than the diameter of the shaft of the securing clip, allowing lateral shifting of the clip so that its shaft can realign during insertion into a corresponding mating hole in the substrate. The securing region of the elongate hole includes centering members constructed in such a manner that an inserted securing clip is retained in a centered position. Consequently, the tolerance compensation function of the clips is optimized.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus securing an inner lining portion to a vehicle substrate, comprising:
a clip housing having an elongate slot with closed and open ends, the closed end forming a securing region; and
a securing clip inserted laterally into the elongate slot comprising a shaft captured in the securing region for extending axially toward a mating hole in the vehicle substrate;
wherein the clip housing includes a centering member contacting the shaft that is pretensioned for centering the shaft in the elongate slot and is bendable for permitting lateral shifting of the shaft when contacting the mating hole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the securing region is greater than a diameter of the shaft of the securing clip within the securing region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the centering member is comprised of at least one resilient centering element in the securing region of the elongate slot.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongate slot of the clip housing comprises a separate replacement element.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the separate replacement element is comprised of plastic material.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the separate replacement element is comprised of metal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clip housing is integrated with the inner lining portion.

8. Interior trim apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a trim panel body having a outer finish side for forming an interior surface of a vehicle passenger compartment and an inner side;
a plurality of clip housings extending from the inner side in a pattern matching a corresponding pattern of mating holes in a vehicle substrate to receive the trim panel body, each clip housing having an elongate slot with closed and open ends, the closed end forming a securing region; and
a plurality of securing clips, each securing clip being inserted laterally into a respective elongate slot and comprising a shaft captured in the securing region for extending axially toward a respective mating hole in the vehicle substrate;
wherein each clip housing includes a respective centering member contacting the respective shaft, wherein the centering member is pretensioned for centering the respective shaft in the respective elongate slot and is bendable for permitting lateral shifting of the respective shaft when contacting the respective mating hole.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein an inner diameter of each securing region is greater than a diameter of the shaft of the respective securing clip within the respective securing region.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each centering member is comprised of at least one resilient centering element in the respective securing region of the respective elongate slot.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each respective elongate slot comprises a separate replacement element.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the separate replacement element is comprised of plastic material.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the separate replacement element is comprised of metal.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each clip housing is integrated with the trim panel body.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lauxen Horst
• Krolzig Volker
• Berns René

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

• Y10T24/304

  Resilient metal type · CPC title

• F16B5/0628

  allowing for adjustment parallel or perpendicular to the plane of the sheets or plates · CPC title

• 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