Snap-in clip for wheel trim

A snap-in clip for holding a retainer ring and wheel cover assembly in place on a wheel rim, wherein the clip includes a center strip for abutting against a portion of the retainer ring, three clip extensions formed on one edge of the center strip for extending through openings in a radially outer portion of the retainer ring, and a pair of U-shaped loops formed on the other edge of the center strip for snapping into place around an upturned inner peripheral edge portion of the retainer ring. A pair of retention fingers are also formed on the other edge of the center strip for being resiliently urged into an annular groove in the wheel rim to securely retain the wheel cover concentric thereon. A pair of shock tabs are also formed on the one edge of the center strip with swaged projections formed on the side edges thereof for engaging respective notches in the wheel rim to prevent rotation of the wheel cover assembly relative to the wheel rim. In an alternate embodiment, only two clip extensions, one retention finger, and one shock tab are employed.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates generally to fasteners and, more particularly, to 
snap-in clips for retaining automotive wheel covers in place on wheels. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Heretofore, spring clips for automotive wheel covers have generally been 
formed integrally with the wheel or the cover therefor, or were riveted or 
welded in place. However, some separate clips have been utilized but 
usually have required a suitable tool or strenuous squeezing by hand to 
assist in the installation or removal of the clip intermediate the wheel 
cover and the wheel. For example, Horn U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,368 discloses a 
spring clip having notched adjacent legs which are compressed or squeezed 
together by hand or by a tool to insert into and engage an opening in the 
wheel body. Lyon U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,926,960; 2,964,358 and 2,981,566 each 
include retaining clips which engage the extreme outer peripheral edge of 
the respective wheel rims. 
Dully et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,885 discloses clips 38 which are convoluted 
to spring fit between the body and rim of a vehicle wheel, with an 
extended bead which interlocks with spaced teeth on the outer periphery of 
a wheel cover. Lettner U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,295 illustrates and describes a 
spring clip having a hook-like holding lug for insertion through a hole in 
a plate portion of a wheel rim, and a support lug and clamping yoke for 
confining a circular heading of a hub cap. 
Schwers U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,514 discloses a retention clip having an inner 
arm with barbs formed thereon for entering a recess in a plastic boss of a 
wheel cover or wheel trim rim, and an outer cam portion and barbed portion 
adapted to being placed in tension so as to be forced into an annular 
humped portion of the wheel to lock the wheel cover in place on the wheel. 
Arvidsson U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,952 discloses a plurality of clamps in 
combination with a ring member for mounting a wheel ring or wheel disc on 
a vehicle wheel, with the ring in interlocking contact with the wheel 
ring, and a free curved end portion urged into position in a peripheral 
recess adjacent the rim edge until a support portion contacts the rim. 
There are no anti-rotation provisions included. 
Narita et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,861 includes a resilient retaining member 
having a body portion with a tongue for fitting into a ribbed receptacle 
in the wheel cover, and a substantially W-shaped pair of retaining 
members, one of which includes a resilient tongue for engaging the wheel 
disc, and the other of which includes a spring catch for engaging a humped 
area of the wheel rim. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
A general object of the invention is to provide an improved clip means for 
retaining a wheel cover on a vehicle wheel and, more particularly, to 
provide a snap-in clip which is readily mountable by hand onto a retainer 
ring of a wheel cover for assembling the latter onto a wheel rim. 
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved snap-in clip 
including means for snapping the clip into place on a retainer ring, with 
additional means for engaging a vehicle wheel so as to both retain the 
wheel cover thereon and prevent same from rotating relative thereto during 
subsequent rotation of the wheel. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a snap-in clip for mounting 
on a retainer ring of a wheel cover to then serve to retain the wheel 
cover in place on a vehicle wheel, the snap-in clip including cooperating 
outer and inner extension means for snapping the clip onto the retainer 
ring, and cooperating retention finger and shock tab means for 
respectively securing and preventing rotation of the wheel cover on the 
wheel rim. 
A still further object of the invention is to provide a snap-in clip for 
holding a wheel cover in place on a wheel rim, wherein the clip includes a 
center strip with at least two clip extensions formed on the outer edge of 
the center strip for extending through openings in a radially outer 
portion of a retainer ring of the wheel cover, a pair of U-shaped loops 
formed on the inner edge of the center strip for snapping into place 
around an upturned inner peripheral edge portion of the retainer ring, at 
least one retention finger formed on the inner edge of the center strip 
for being resiliently urged into an annular groove in the wheel rim to 
securely retain the wheel cover concentric thereon, and at least one shock 
tab formed on the outer edge of the center strip with swaged projections 
formed on the side edges thereof for engaging respective notches in the 
wheel rim to prevent rotation of the wheel cover assembly relative to the 
wheel rim. 
These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when 
reference is made to the following drawings and accompanying description.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 illustrates a 
snap-in clip 10 which is one of a predetermined plurality of snap-in clips 
which serve to hold an automotive retainer ring 12 in place on a wheel rim 
14 adapted to support a pneumatic tire 15. 
In general, the snap-in clip 10 includes an arcuate shaped center strip 16 
(FIG. 2) formed at a predetermined radius of, say, 6.625 inches, for a 
purpose to be described. Two spaced shock tabs 18 and 20 are formed to 
bend inwardly from what is to be the outer edge 22 of the center strip 
once the latter is positioned in place on the wheel rim. Three equally 
spaced clip extensions 24, 26, and 28 are formed to extend outwardly from 
the outer edge 22, with the middle extension 26 being centered between the 
two shock tabs 18 and 20, and the extensions 24 and 28 located adjacent 
the ends of the center strip 16 outboard of the respective adjacent outer 
edges of the shock tabs 18 and 20. 
Two spaced retention fingers 30 and 32 are formed to extend from the inner 
edge 34 of the center strip 16 directly below and in the same general 
direction as the two shock tabs 18 and 20. Two projections 36 and 38 are 
formed on the inner edge 34 of the center strip 16 adjacent the ends 
thereof so as to project in the direction opposite the shock 18 and 20. 
The two projections 36 and 38 are in alignment with the two outermost clip 
extensions 24 and 28. 
More specifically, each of the shock tabs 18 and 20 has a first segment 40 
connected by a bend portion 42 to the outer edge 22 of the center strip 16 
so as to extend at a predetermined angle of less than 45.degree. relative 
to the plane of the center strip. A second segment 44 bends from the 
distal end of each first segment 40 so as to extend at approximately a 
right angle therewith toward the center strip 16. A pair of swaged 
projections 46 and 48 are formed on opposite edges of each shock tab 18 
and 20 at the juncture of the first and second segments 40 and 44. 
Each of the clip extensions 24, 26 and 28 has a straight portion 50 
connected by a double bend portion 52 to the outer edge 22 of the center 
strip 16 so as to extend at a predetermined shallow angle with the plane 
of the center strip on the shock tab 18, 20 side thereof. An outer double 
bend portion 54 is formed on the distal end of each clip extension 24, 26 
and 28, extending to the shock tab 18, 20 side of the center strip 16. 
Each of the retention fingers 30 and 32 has an arcuate shaped, wide body 
segment 56 connected by a shallow bend portion 58 to the inner edge 34 of 
the center strip 1 6 on the projection 36, 38 side thereof. Relative to 
the radius of the center strip 16, each wide body segment 56 is formed at 
a predetermined smaller radius of, say, 6.5125 inches, and concentric with 
the arc of the center strip. A segment 60 is connected by a large bend 
portion 62 to the distal end of each wide body segment 56 so as to form a 
"U" therewith. A ledge portion 64 is formed on the free end of each wall 
segment 60, extending away from the center strip 16. A scalloped edge 66 
is formed on the ledge portion 64 by a series of arcuate indentations 68 
forming points 70 between adjacent arcuate indentations. 
Each projection 36 and 38 is formed as a U-shaped loop portion 72 connected 
to the inner edge 34 of the center strip 16, with a free edge portion 74 
bent to extend outwardly from the center strip. 
In operation, the number of snap-in clips 10 required will depend upon the 
wheel cover diameter, typically, four clips for a 13 inch diameter wheel 
cover, five clips for a 14 inch wheel cover, and six clips for a 15 inch 
wheel cover. The clips 10 are easily installed by hand by simply snapping 
into place and, once installed, they retain the retainer ring 12 and the 
wheel cover concentric with and secured firmly to the wheel rim 14 without 
any subsequent relative rotation or movement. 
For the manual installation process, each snap-in clip 10 is secured to the 
retainer ring 12 by inserting the outer double bend portions 54 of the 
three clip extensions 24, 26 and 28 through openings 76 (FIG. 1) formed in 
a substantially cylindrical wall portion 78 of the retainer ring 12 of the 
wheel cover. Inserting the outer double bend portions 54 through the 
openings 76 causes the U-shaped loops 72 of the projections 36 and 38 to 
snap into place around an upturned inner peripheral edge portion 80 of the 
retainer ring 12, bringing the center strip 16 into substantially an 
abutting relationship with the inner surface of a radially extending wall 
portion 82 of the retainer ring. 
Next, the assembly of the retainer ring 12 and the plurality of snap-in 
clips 10 assembly onto the wheel rim 14 is accomplished in the following 
manner: 
The scalloped edges 66 of the retention fingers 30 and 32 are caused to 
engage the wheel rim 14 just radially outward of an annular groove 84 
formed in the wheel rim 14 to initially compress the wall segments 60 
toward the wide body segments 56. Consequently, the ledge portions 64 are 
urged radially inwardly along a curved surface 85 of the wheel rim 14 
until they enter the annular groove 84, while the inner end of the 
cylindrical wall portion 78 of the retainer ring 12 seats on an annular 
bend portion 88 of the wheel rim 14. This action retains the retainer ring 
and wheel cover securely in place concentrically with the wheel rim. 
Simultaneously, the swaged edge projections 46 and 48 of each shock tab 18 
and 20 are fitted into notches 86 formed in the wheel rim 14, slightly 
compressing the elements 40 of the shock tabs toward the center strip 16, 
with the latter flattened out against the wall portion 82 of the retainer 
ring 12. It is the seating of the swaged projections 46 and 48 in the 
notches 86 of the wheel rim 14 which prevents any rotation of the retainer 
ring 12 relative to the wheel rim 14, as well as serving to increase the 
integrity of the torque and drop test parameters. The flattened center 
strip 16 against the wall portion 82 of the retainer ring 12, in 
conjunction with the compressed shock tabs 18 and 20, serves to eliminate 
any tendency for looseness among the retainer ring 12, the snap-in clips 
1? and the wheel rim 14. 
As illustrated in FIG. 5, an alternate snap-in clip 90 is a version of the 
snap-in clip 10 with fewer parts but similar thereto in structure and 
function. Specifically, there are two clip extensions 92 and 94, rather 
than the three clip extensions 24, 26 and 28 of the snap-in clip 10, one 
shock tab 96, rather than the two shock tabs 18 and 20, and one retention 
finger 98 rather than the two retention fingers 30 and 32. Two projections 
100 and 102 are identical to the two projections 36 and 38 of the snap-in 
clip 10, and formed directly below the respective two clip extensions 92 
and 94. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
It should be apparent that the invention provides a novel snap-in clip 
which is readily installed on the retainer ring of a wheel cover by hand, 
and which serves to retain an automotive wheel cover concentrically in 
place on a wheel rim without the possibility of subsequent relative 
rotation therebetween. 
While but two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, 
other modification thereof are possible within the scope of the following 
claims.