Fixing clip for fixing articles onto panel and interior module with fixing clip

Abstract: A fixing clip holds the shaft of an article, and fixes the article onto a panel via a through-hole formed in the panel and having a front edge and a rear edge. The fixing clip includes a base having a front end, a rear end, and an opening, and a shaft holder formed on the base and for receiving the shaft of the article. The shaft holder has a conical wall. The fixing clip also has a first stopper that is a portion of the area on the conical wall of the shaft holder and faces the front end of the base; and a second stopper positioned along one side of the opening and facing the rear end of the base. When the fixing clip is attached to the panel, the first stopper comes into frictional contact with the front edge of the through-hole, and the second stopper catches the rear edge of the through-hole. The fixing clip also has a tail-like third stopper, which extends from the conical wall of the shaft holder above the first stopper and toward the front end of the base. The third stopper has a crook near the end, which elastically pushes the surroundings of the through-hole.

Description: Field of the Invention This invention relates to a fixing clip for fixing an article onto a panel via a through-hole formed therein. Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a fixing clip for fixing an article to a panel in a detachable manner, and to an interior module with a fixing clip. Most particularly, but not exclusively, the invention is suitably used to secure a sun visor or an assist grip into a lining or a ceiling trim of an automobile, the interior module with a fixing clip being applied to, for example, a ceiling panel or a body panel of an automobile. Description of the Related Art In general, sun visors are furnished above the front sheets of an automobile in order to protect the driver's eyes and the passenger's eyes from the sun. The sun visor is generally attached to the ceiling panel of an automobile by a fixing clip that holds one end of the shaft of the sun visor in a rotatable manner. Such a conventional fixing clip generally has a base, on which a grommet for receiving the shaft of the sun visor is monolithically formed, and stoppers for elastically support the base onto the body panel. With this fixing clip, the stoppers have to be inserted into a through-hold formed in the panel in order to fix the base onto the panel. However, the stoppers generally greatly extend outward in order to support the base onto the panel via the through-hole. It is troublesome to insert the stoppers into the through-hole, and in addition, the rim of the sun visor often hits the front window or the room mirror. Recently, several parts or accessories are temporarily fixed to a lining or a ceiling trim in advance, prior to shipping to an assembly plant. This process is so-called modularization. The modularized lining or ceiling trim is assembled into an automobile, and the parts and the accessories temporarily attached to the lining or the ceiling trim are finally fixed to the ceiling panel or the body panel of the automobile. For example, in order to secure a ceiling module, in which sun visors are temporarily attached by fixing clips to a ceiling trim, to the ceiling panel, the elastic stoppers extending outward from the ceiling module have to be inserted into a through-hole formed in the ceiling panel again. This process is troublesome. To overcome this problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H7-069054 proposes a holder structure having screw grommets, as stoppers, which are monolithically formed on a base. Fig. 1A illustrates such a holder with screw grommets in a perspective view, and Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the screw grommet taken along the A-A line of Fig. 1A. The holder 10 has a base 11, a shaft holder 12 for receiving the shaft of a sun visor, and a pair of barrel-shaped half grommets 13. The half grommet 13 is formed of an elastic material, and consists of two half shells separated by a vertical groove. The shaft holder 12 and the half grommets 13 are inserted in the corresponding through-holes formed in advance in an interior panel. Since the half grommets 13 are barrel-shaped with their upper portions tapered, they are easily inserted into the associated through-holes. After the insertion, the half grommet 13 is stopped by the edge of the through-hole at the center swelling, as shown in Fig. 1B by the solid lines. This state is a temporarily fixed state. To finally fix the holder 10, a screw pin 15 is inserted from the bottom of the half grommet 13 between the half shells 13a, as indicated by the virtual lines in Fig. 1B. The insertion of the pin 15 causes the two elastic half shells 13a to open outward. This state is a finally fixed state. However, this structure disclosed in H7-69054 requires multiple holes to be formed in advance in the interior panel at a precise configuration. Furthermore, since the half grommet 13 is merely swelled in the middle, it is very likely that the holder 10 comes out from the interior panel by, for example, vibration during shipping or transportation because the holder is temporarily fixed to the interior panel without the pin 15. In addition, it is troublesome to fix and detach the holder 10 to and from the panel using a screw pin. Using the screw pin also deteriorates the appearance of the holder 10 when it is applied to the interior of an automobile. DE 3820334 relates to a wall mounted bearing support for a vehicle sun visor with a hook that reaches behind the wall. The end of the hook is supported at its free end against the rear side of the wall, the bearing support being held in position by means of a further mounting element which is accessible from the front of the support. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is desirable to provide an improved fixing clip According to the invention, there is provided a fixing clip as claimed in claim 1. A fixing clip according to a particularly preferred embodiment fixes an article onto a panel via a through-hole formed therein. Such an article generally has a shaft, which is to be held by the fixing clip. The through-hole has a front edge and a rear edge. The fixing clip includes a base having a front end, a rear end, and an opening; a shaft holder formed on the base and for receiving the shaft of the article; and a lid connected to the rear end of the base. The shaft holder has a side wall. The fixing clip has a first stopper that is a portion of the area on the side wall of the shaft holder and that faces the front end of the base, and a second stopper positioned along one side of the opening, facing the rear end of the base. When the fixing clip is attached to the panel, the first stopper comes into frictional contact with the front edge of the through-hold, and the second stopper catches the rear edge of the through-hole. Preferably a lid is disposed on the clip, which is preferably capable of swinging between an open position, which is in a temporarily fixed state, and a closed position, which is in a finally fixed state. The lid may have a projection on its inner face which may fit into the opening of the base when the lid is closed. Preferably, the base has an arched front end and a substantially straight rear end. Preferably, the side wall of the shaft holder is a conical wall, and the first stopper is a portion of the area on the conical wall, extending horizontally along the conical wall. Preferably a fourth stopper projects from the side wall of the shaft holder between the first stopper and the third stopper. The third stopper preferably comprises an elastic material. When the fixing clip is attached to the panel, the crook may elastically push the surroundings of the through-hole. Preferably the second stopper has a ridge facing the rear end of the base in order to catch the rear edge of the though-hole. Preferably the distance from the crook of the third stopper to the front edge of the through-hole is set greater than the distance from the top of the ridge of the second stopper to the rear edge of the through-hole. This preferred arrangement allows the entire weight of the article, such as a sun visor or an assist grip, to be reliably supported. With the lid open in the temporarily fixed state, the first through fourth stoppers may catch the periphery of the through-hole. Accordingly, the fixing clip is reliably attached to the panel even in the temporarily state. Preferably the fixing clip further has a pair of fifth stopper, positioned along two opposing sides of the opening. The projection of the lid preferably has a pair of pushing pieces on the top. When the lid is closed, the projection may be fit into the opening of the base, and push the rear face of the fifth stoppers outward. This preferred arrangement enhances the engagement between the fifth stoppers and the edges of the through-hole, and ensures the finally fixed state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments thereof in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1A illustrates a conventional fixing holder in a perspective view, and Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the A-A line shown in Fig. 1A, in which the broken line indicates the finally fixed state of the holder, through which a screw pin is inserted; Fig. 2 illustrates a sun visor held by a fixing clip in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 illustrates in a perspective view the detailed structure of the fixing clip shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 4A through 4D illustrates the fixing clip shown in Fig. 3, in which Fig. 4A is a top view, Fig. 4B is a front view, Fig. 4C is a right-side view, and Fig. 4D is a rear view; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the B-B line in Fig. 4A; Fig. 6 illustrates how the fixing clip is attached to the ceiling panel, in which Fig. 6A shows the beginning of attaching the fixing clip, Fig. 6B shows the fixing clip in the course temporarily attachment, Fig. 6C shows the finally fixed state with the lid closed; and Fig. 7 illustrates the sun visor attached to the ceiling panel of an automobile using the fixing clip of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figs. 2 through 7 illustrates a fixing clip according to the first embodiment of the invention. In the first embodiment, the fixing clip is applied to a sun visor holder for automobiles, which holds the shaft of a sun visor and fixes it to the ceiling panel of the automobile. A through-hole, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the fixing clip of the first embodiment, is formed in the ceiling panel in advance. As illustrated in Figs. 2 through 4, the fixing clip 20 has a flat base 21, and a shaft holder 22 for receiving the shaft 46 of the sun visor 40. The base 21 has an arched front end and a substantially straight rear end. A lid 23 is connected to the rear end of the base 21 via a hinge 24 in a pivotable manner. In this embodiment, the shaft holder 22 tilts toward the hinge 24. The through-hole P1 (see Fig. 6) formed in the ceiling panel P is similar in figures with, but smaller in size than the base 21 of the fixing clip 20. The shaft holder 22 is a conical packing obliquely projecting from the top face of the base 21. The shaft holder 22 has a hole 22 A for receiving one end of the shaft 46 of the sun visor 40. As has been mentioned above, the shaft holder 22 has a conical wall in this embodiment. A portion of the surface of the conical wall of the shaft holder 22, near the bottom and facing the front end of the base 21, functions as a first stopper 28. When the fixing clip 20 is attached to the ceiling panel via the through-hole P1, the front bottom surface of the shaft holder 22 (i.e., the first stopper) comes into frictional contact with the front edge of the through-hole P1. Under the frictional contact, the first stopper cooperates with a second stopper, the details of which will be explained below, and supports the fixing clip 20 and the sun visor 40 to the ceiling panel. The base 21 has an opening 34 between the shaft holder 22 and the hinge 24. In the first embodiment, the opening 34 is rectangular. The lid 23 has a projection 23A in its inner face. A pair of pushing pieces 33 (Figs. 3 and 4A) is formed on the top of the projection 23A. As the lid 23 is closed, the projection 23A is fit into the opening 34 of the base 21. The lid 23 swings about the hinge 24. The hinge can be formed monolithically together with the base 21 and the lid 23 by making the connection between the base 21 and the lid 23 very thin. As clearly shown in Fig. 4C, the top face of the base 21 is flat, while the bottom face of the base 21 is stepped. The front half (i.e., the semicircular portion) of the base 21 is thicker than the rear half (i.e., the squared portion). This is to make the bottom face of the semicircular portion of the base 21 smoothly connect with the outer surface of the lid 23 when the lid 23 is closed. This arrangement improves the appearance of the fixing clip 20 when it is finally fixed to the ceiling panel of the automobile to support the sun visor 40. A second stopper 25 stands along one side of the opening 34 so as to face the rear end of the base 21. The second stopper 25 has a ridge 31 projecting outward. When the fixing clip 20 is attached to the ceiling panel, the ridge 31 of the second stopper 25 catches the rear edge of the through-hole P1. At this time, the front bottom surface of the shaft holder 22 functions as the first stopper 28, and is in the frictional contact with the arched front edge of the through-hole P1. In this state, the first and second stoppers 28 and 25 of the fixing clip 20 are in engagement of the edges of the through-hole to support the fixing clip 20 itself The fixing clip 20 further has a tail-like third stopper 26 extending from the conical surface of the shaft holder 22 and at an end portion thereof distal from the base (or above as shown in the figures) toward the front end of the base 21. In addition, a rib 29 extends in the lateral direction on the conical surface of the shaft holder 22 between the first stopper 28 (that is, the front bottom area of the conical surface of the shaft holder 22) and the third stopper 26. The rib 29 functions as a fourth stopper 29. A pair of fifth stoppers 27 is positioned around the opening 34 so as to be opposed to each other. All of the first to fifth stoppers are in contact with the periphery of the through-hole P1. To be more precise, the second stopper 25 and the fifth stoppers 27 placed around the opening 34 have ridges 31 extending outward, and these ridges 31 catch the edges of the through-hole P1. The third stopper 26 is made of an elastic material, and has a crook near the end, as shown in Fig. 4C. The crook elastically presses the periphery of the through-hole P1. A distance from the crook of the third stopper 26 to the front edge of the through-hole is set greater than a distance from the top of the ridge 31 of the second stopper 25 to the rear edge of the through-hole P1. The fourth stopper (i.e., the rib) 29 reinforces the frictional contact between the first stopper 28 and the front edge of the through-hole. The rib (i.e., the fourth stopper) 29 is positioned at the same height "h" from the top face of the base 21 as the ridge 31s of the second and fifth stoppers 25 and 27. The crook of the tail-like third stopper 26 is positioned slightly lower than 'h' in its home position. This state is illustrated in Fig. 5. The horizontal line α indicates the home position of the third stopper 26. The fourth stopper 29 is positioned slightly above the horizontal line α If all of the first through fifth stoppers are inserted into the through-hole P1, the crook of the third stopper, 26 is lifted up to the height "h" so as to be aligned with the second, fourth and fifth stoppers by the peripheral wall of the through-hole P1. Due to the resilience of the third stopper 26, the crook tends to return to the home position, and consequently, presses the peripheral wall of the through-hole P. This arrangement allows the fixing clip 20 and the sun visor 40 to be reliably supported to the panel. The end portion of the shaft 46 of the sun visor 40 is inserted into the hole 22A of the shaft holder 22, as shown in Fig. 2. Since the engagement between the shaft holder 22 and the shaft 46 of the sun visor 40 has to support the entire weight of the sun visor, the engagement is significantly firm. Accordingly, it is preferable to insert the shaft 46 of the sun visor 40 into the shaft holder 22 beforehand, prior to attaching the fixing clip 20 to the panel. Fig. 6 illustrates how the fixing clip 20 is attached to the ceiling panel via the through-hole P1. First, as shown in Fig. 6A, the fixing clip 20 is inclined to insert the third stopper 26, which extends over the front end of the base 21, into the through-hole P1. The, the front bottom area (i.e., the first stopper 28) of the conical wall of the shaft holder 22 is brought into contact with the front edge of the through-hole P1, as shown in Fig. 6B. At the same time, the fourth stopper 29 catches the front edge of the through-hole P1. In this state, the fixing clip 20 is pivoted toward the through-hole P1 about the first and fourth stoppers 28 and 29. The second and fifth stoppers 25 and 27 having ridges 31 are elastically deformed and inserted into the through-hole P1. In Fig. 6C, all of the first through fifth stoppers and the shaft holder 22 are completely fit into the through-hole P1. Immediately after the insertion, the lid 23 is kept open, as indicated by the virtual line. Accordingly, the fixing clip 20 is still in the temporarily fixed state. In the temporarily fixed state, the second and fifth stoppers 25 and 27 stand upright with the ridges 31 in light contact with the three edges of the through-hole P1. Furthermore, the first and fourth stoppers 28 and 29 are also in contact with the front edge of the through-hole P1. This arrangement can prevent the fixing clip 20 from moving in the longitudinal and width directions. The crook of the third stopper 26 pushes the back of the ceiling panel under the spring force, which causes the base 21 of the fixing clip 20 to be pressed against the ceiling panel. With these arrangements, the fixing clip 20 does not accidentally fall down from the through-hole hole P1 even in the temporarily fixed state. The shaft holder 22 is positioned on the base 21 so as to be symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center line that divides the length between the two fifth stoppers 27 into equal parts. Accordingly, if shaft holder 22 and the fifth stoppers 27 are inserted into the through-hole P1, the front bottom area 28 on the conical wall of the shaft holder 22 is automatically guided to fit to the arched front edge of the through-hole P1. At the same time, the second stopper 25 positioned at the rear end of the base 21 is elastically engaged with the rear edge of the through-hole P1. In this manner, the fixing clip 20 is automatically centered to the through-hole P1 without an additional positioning process, simply by inserting the fixing clip 20 into the through-hole P1. Furthermore, a pair of fifth stoppers 27 catches the side edges of the through-hole P1 at the ridges 31 thereof, thereby preventing the fixing clip 20 from shifting in the width direction of the through-hole P1. A conventional fixing holder shown in Fig. 1 requires multiple through-holes (for example, three in the example shown in Fig. 1) to be formed in the panel in advance at a precise configuration. On the contrary, with the fixing clip 20 of the present invention, only a single through-hole P1 is formed in the ceiling panel. Accordingly, a troublesome step for forming multiple holes under a precise control of the positional relationship is eliminated, and the work efficiency can be greatly improved. The arched front edge of the through-hole clearly exhibits the right direction of attaching the fixing clip 20. To finally secure the fixing clip 20 onto the panel, the lid 23 is simply closed. This state is illustrated in Fig. 6C with the solid lines. As the lid 23 is closed, the projection 23A enters the opening 34 of the base 21. A pair of pressing pieces 33 is formed at the top of the projection 34A so as to be alternate. As the lid 23 is closed, a pressing piece 33 positioned closer to the hinge 24 first comes into contact with the associated fifth stopper 27, and pushes the rear face of that stopper 27. Then, the other pressing piece 33 located remote from the hinge 24 comes into contact with the other fifth stopper 27, and pushes the rear face of the fifth stopper 27 outward. When the lid 23 is completely closed, each of the pressing pieces 33 presses the associated fifth stopper 27 outward, the ridge 31 of the fifth stopper 27 comes into tight contact with the side edge of the through-hole P1. This state is called a finally fixed state. In the finally fixed state, the outer surface of the lid 23 is aligned flat with the bottom surface of the base 21, and the appearance of the fixing clip 20 is improved. If the sun visor 40 is attached to the ceiling panel of an automobile using the fixing clip 20, as shown in Fig. 7, only the slat and smooth surfaced of the fixing clip 20 is observed from the driver's seat even if the sun visor 40 is pivoted upward. A recess may be formed along the front edge of the lid 23, so that the lid 23 can be easily opened when removing the fixing clip 20 from the ceiling panel. Such a recess formed at the front edge of the lid will not affect the appearance of the fixing clip 20. To remove the fixing clip 20 from the ceiling panel for purposes of maintenance or inspection of the automobile, the lid 23 is opened to take the projection 23A out of the opening 34. At this time, the lid 23 is picked between fingers and slightly twisted in order to disengage the pressing pieces 33 from the fifth stoppers 27. In the preferred embodiment, the projection 23A, the pressing pieces 33 and the first through fifth stoppers are made of an elastic material. If the lid 23 is taken out of the opening 34, the fixing clip 20 is now in the temporarily fixed state. To remove the entire fixing clip 20 from the through-hole P1 of the ceiling panel, the fixing clip 20 is pivoted about the front edge of the through-hole P1 with the first and fourth stoppers 28 and 29 as a fulcrum. The second stopper 25 and the fifth stoppers 27 are at first taken out of the through-hole P1, being elastically deformed. Then, the fixing clip 20 is pulled out into the room of the automobile, while it is tilted. In this manner, the fixing clip 20 is easily removed from the ceiling panel. In the first embodiment, the base 21 of the fixing clip 20 and the through-hole P1 are shaped so that the front edge is arched and the rear edge is substantially straight. Accordingly, the bases of the second and fifth stoppers 25 and 27, which are positioned along the sides of the opening 34, are also formed straight, while the first and fourth stoppers 28 and 29 are arched. However, the fixing clip 20 and the through-hole are not limited to such a shape. For example, the base portion of the second stopper 25 facing to the rear end of the base 21 may be curved at a prescribed curvature. In addition, the base portion of each of the fifth stoppers 27 may be gently curved. In this case, the through-hole P1 formed in the ceiling panel is formed in a capsule shape or an oval shape. Furthermore, the shaft holder 22 is not limited to the conical shape. The shaft holder 22 may have a polygonal side face as long as the shaft of the sun visor is appropriately received by the hole. In the first embodiment, a frictional contact between the front bottom surface of the shaft holder 22 and the front edge of the through-hole P1 is made use of to support the fixing clip 20. At the same time, the circumference of the shaft holder 22 is also utilized to achieve an automatic centering function. Furthermore, the temporarily fixed state and the finally fixed state are easily switched by simply opening or closing the lid 23. In the temporarily fixed state, the fixing clip 20 is supported mainly by the front bottom surface of the shaft holder 22, which works as the first stopper, and the second stopper 25 facing the rear end of the base 21. The third stopper 26 extending from the conical wall of the shaft holder 22, and the fourth stopper 29 extending above the first stopper reinforce the engagement between the fixing clip 20 and the through-hole P1. In the finally fixed state, the ridges 31 of the fifth stoppers 27 are pressed outward, the fixing clip 20 is more firmly engaged with the through-hole P1. In this manner, the fixing clip is supported reliably in both the temporarily and finally fixed states. From the foregoing it will be seen that the embodiment provides a fixing clip which allows a sun visor or an assist grip to be attached to a ceiling panel or a ceiling trim of an automobile easily and reliably. Also provided is a fixing clip which can be switched between a temporarily fixed state and a finally fixed state in a simply manner. Further provided is an interior module, in which one or more fixing clips are assembled into a lining in a temporarily fixed state, the interior module facilitating assembling interior components of an automobile.

Claims: A fixing clip (20) for fixing an article having a shaft onto a panel via a through-hole formed therein, the through-hole having a front edge and a rear edge, the fixing clip (20) comprising: a base (21) having a front end, a rear end, and an opening; a shaft holder (22) formed on the base (21) and for receiving the shaft (46) of the article, the shaft holder (22) having a side wall; a first stopper (28) that is a portion of the area on the side wall of the shaft holder (22) and faces the front end of the base (21); and a second stopper (25) positioned along a side of the opening opposed to the shaft holder (22), and facing the rear end of the base (21), and a third stopper (26) extending from the side wall of the shaft holder (22) at an end portion thereof distal from the base and toward the front end of the base (21), the third stopper (26) having a crook at an end portion thereof, wherein when the fixing clip (20) is attached to the panel, the first stopper (28) comes into frictional contact with the front edge of the through-hole, the second stopper (25) catches the rear edge of the through-hole, and the crook of the third stopper (26) pushes against the panel. The fixing clip (20) according to claim 1, wherein the shaft holder (22) has a conical side wall, and the first stopper (28) is a portion of the area on the conical side wall of the shaft holder, which contacts the front edge of the through-hole (P1), and extends obliquely along the side wall facing the front end of the base. The fixing clip (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base (21) has an arched front end and substantially straight rear end. The fixing clip (20) according to any of claims 1, 2 or 3 further comprising: a fourth stopper (29) projecting from the side wall of the shaft holder (22) and positioned between the first stopper (28) and the third stopper (26), wherein the fourth stopper (29) catches the front edge of the through-hole (P1) when the fixing clip (20) is attached to the panel. The fixing clip (20) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the third stopper (26) is made of an elastic material, and extends obliquely from the side wall of the shaft holder (22) toward the base, and bends away from the base (21) at the crook. The fixing clip (20) according to claim 5, wherein the second stopper (25) has a ridge (31) facing the rear end of the base; and wherein the distance from the crook of the third stopper (26) to the front edge of the through-hole (P1) is set greater than the distance from the top of the ridge (31) of the second stopper (25) to the rear edge of the through-hole (P1). The fixing clip (20) according to any of claims 1 to 5 comprising a lid (23) connected to the base (21) so as to be capable of moving from an open position and a closed position. The fixing clip (20) according to claim 7 wherein the lid (23) comprises a projection (23A) extending from an inner face thereof.

Inventors: ARISAKA OOMI, ARISAKA, OOMI
Applicants: PIOLAX INC, PIOLAX INC.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B60J3
IPC codes: B60J3