Multi-vehicle retention grommet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610880-B2
Application number	US-201514874193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 29, 2015
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A retention grommet has a bottom grommet and a top grommet. A floor cover retention flange extends radially outwardly from an outer sidewall of the bottom grommet. The outer sidewall extends upwardly from the retention flange to a hinge plane of the bottom grommet. Plural fingers are disposed around the bottom grommet axis so as to be angularly spaced from each other and an inner surface of the outer sidewall. An upper end of each finger is joined to the outer sidewall at the hinge plane. Near a free, downwardly displaced end of each finger, a retention bead is formed to have an upwardly and radially outwardly inclined surface. This surface engages a retention post of any of several vehicle foot well affixation devices, one of which is adapted to be affixed to a carpeted surface and another of which is adapted to be affixed to a smooth surface.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for attaching a floor cover to a vehicle foot well, the system comprising:
a bottom grommet, an outer sidewall of the bottom grommet formed around an axis and having an outer surface and an inner surface, a floor cover retention flange of the bottom grommet joined to the outer sidewall and radially outwardly extending from the outer surface of the outer sidewall, the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet extending axially upwardly from the retention flange to a hinge plane of the bottom grommet;
an annulus disposed in the hinge plane of the bottom grommet and radially inwardly extending from the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet to an inner end of the annulus;
a plurality of fingers disposed around the axis to be angularly spaced apart from each other, an upper end of each finger joined to the inner end of the annulus so that the annulus spaces said upper end from the inner surface of the outer sidewall, each finger extending axially downwardly from the upper end of the finger to a lower end of the finger and having an inner sidewall surface disposed between the upper and lower finger ends that is in alignment with the axis;
for each finger, a bead formed proximate to the lower end of the finger and radially inwardly extending from the inner sidewall surface of the finger, the bead adapted to engage any of a plurality of differently shaped, predetermined vehicle foot well retention post heads with an interference fit;
each finger having an outer surface facing the inner surface of the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet, the bottom grommet further including, for each finger, a vertical rib radially extending from the inner surface of the outer sidewall to the outer surface of the finger, an angular width, relative to the axis, of the vertical rib being less than or equal to one-fourth of a corresponding angular width of the finger;
a top grommet, a downwardly extending sidewall of the top grommet adapted to fasten to the outer surface of the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet; and
an affixation device adapted for attachment to a vehicle foot well, the affixation device having an affixation device body with an upper surface and a lower surface, a floor cover retention post upwardly extending from the upper surface of the affixation device body and adapted to engage the fingers of the bottom grommet.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the affixation device is adapted to be affixed to carpeting, a plurality of projections extend from the lower surface of the affixation device body, each projection spaced from adjacent projections, the projections forming a two-dimensional array.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the affixation device is adapted to be affixed to an uncarpeted surface of the vehicle foot well, an adhesive layer attached to and extending downwardly from the lower surface of the affixation device body.

4. A system for attaching a floor cover to a vehicle foot well, the system comprising:
a bottom grommet, an outer sidewall of the bottom grommet formed around an axis and having an inner surface and an outer surface, a floor cover retention flange of the bottom grommet joined to the outer sidewall and radially outwardly extending from the outer surface of the outer sidewall, the outer sidewall extending axially upwardly from the retention flange to a top plane of the bottom grommet;
a plurality of fingers formed around the axis to be angularly spaced from each other, each finger radially inwardly spaced from the inner surface of the outer sidewall, an inner sidewall surface of each finger disposed on an imaginary cylinder aligned with the axis, the fingers integrally formed with the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet;
each finger having a lower end axially downwardly spaced from the top plane of the outer sidewall, each finger having a bead, an inner end of the bead disposed radially inwardly from the inner sidewall surface of the last said finger and disposed near the lower end of the finger, each bead having an innermost margin that is disposed closest to the axis, an inclined surface of the bead extending upwardly and outwardly from the innermost margin of the bead to terminate at the inner sidewall surface of the finger;
each finger having an outer surface facing the inner surface of the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet, the bottom grommet further including, for each finger, a vertical rib radially extending from the inner surface of the outer sidewall to the outer surface of the finger, an angular width, relative to the axis, of the vertical rib being less than or equal to one-fourth of a corresponding angular width of the finger;
a top grommet, a downwardly extending sidewall of the top grommet adapted to attach to the outer surface of the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet; and
an affixation device adapted for attachment to a vehicle foot well, the affixation device having an affixation device body with an upper surface and a lower surface, a floor cover retention post upwardly extending from the upper surface of the affixation device body and adapted to engage the fingers of the bottom grommet.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the affixation device is adapted to be affixed to carpeting, a plurality of projections extend from the lower surface of the affixation device body, each projection spaced from adjacent projections, the projections forming a two-dimensional array.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the affixation device is adapted to be affixed to an uncarpeted surface of the vehicle foot well, an adhesive layer attached to and extending downwardly from the lower surface of the affixation device body.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one guide rib radially extends from the inner surface of the outer sidewall of the bottom grommet, the guide rib positioned in between adjacent fingers, a thickness of the guide rib being less than the radial spacing between two adjacent fingers, an inner margin of the guide rib being spaced radially outwardly from the innermost margin of the bead.

Assignees

• Macneil Ip Llc

Inventors

• Masanek Jr Frederick W
• Thom Allan R
• Kaufman Judd C
• Iverson David S

Classifications

• B60N3/044

  of removable mats (B60N3/046, B60N3/048 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N3/046 Primary

  characterised by the fixing means · CPC title