Abstract:
A clip assembly ( 36, 60 ) mounts a cladding panel to a body. The clip assembly includes a clip ( 36 ) and a key guide ( 60 ). The clip ( 36 ) has a head ( 38 ) and a shaft ( 40 ). The head ( 38 ) is adapted for attaching to a flange of the cladding panel. The key guide ( 60 ) has a hollow body ( 62 ) sized to receive and retain the shaft ( 40 ) in a first and second engagement position. The key guide ( 60 ) is configured to be inserted into a slot ( 52, 56 ) on the body structure and upon rotation is retained within the slot. One end of the cladding engages the pilot aperture ( 56 ) and an opposite end engages a slot ( 52 ). The cladding is adjustable relative to the body structure while in a first engagement position and is held in place for further fastening when in a second engagement position.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/233,787, filed Sep. 19, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a clip assembly for adjustably attaching a cladding to a vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Cladding or panels are commonly used on vehicles. The panels can be made of plastic material or of sheet metal. The panels are attached to the vehicle structure using a variety of methods. If the panel and the structure are compatible, the panels can be welded to the vehicle. However in many cases, the panel is plastic and the vehicle structure is metal requiring the use of adhesives or fasteners. 
     Claddings are also provided with exterior design features, such as styling lines and trim pieces. The design features must be aligned in order to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle. Thus, the fasteners must enable the cladding to be adjusted relative to an adjacent panel or cladding. 
     In the prior art, a number of different fasteners have been used to attach a plastic panel to a metal vehicle structure. Examples of such fasteners include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,529,244; 4,607,877 and 5,429,412. Although the prior art fasteners allow a degree of adjustment, the assemblies are relatively complicated to assemble and install on the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a simple clip assembly which allows the cladding to be easily and quickly installed and then adjusted as desired. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a clip assembly which mounts a cladding panel to a body structure. The clip assembly includes a clip and a key guide. The clip has a head and a shaft. The head is adapted for attaching to a support flange of the cladding panel. The key guide has a hollow body sized to receive and retain the shaft of the clip. The key guide is configured to be inserted into a slot on the body structure and upon rotation is slidably retained within the slot. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the body structure is provided with a series of guide slots and a pilot aperture. The guide slots are radially spaced from the pilot aperture and have a major axis which extends tangentially from the radial extent of the pilot aperture enabling the cladding to rotated relative to the body structure about the pilot aperture. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a cladding to sub-assembly to be incorporated into a vehicle. The method includes steps of providing a sub-assembly having a pilot aperture and at least one elongated slot. A key guide is provided into each of the pilot aperture and the at least one elongated slot. A cladding is provided with a support flange. At least two clips are provided on the support flange. The clips are positioned to engage a corresponding one of the key guides. The clips are inserted into the corresponding keys guides to a first engagement position retaining the cladding on the sub-assembly and enabling the cladding to be rotated about the key guide in the pilot aperture, whereafter the cladding can be fixed to the sub-assembly. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In drawings which illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cladding for attachment incorporating the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an inner face of the cladding of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a clip assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a clip of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a body structure incorporating the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a key guide of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the key guide of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the attachment of the cladding to the body structure incorporating the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the attachment of the cladding to the body structure incorporating the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of the attachment of the cladding to the body structure incorporating the present invention; and 
     FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of the attachment of the cladding to the body structure incorporating the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a typical side body cladding panel  12 , such as a wheel flare, which is to be attached to a vehicle body structure utilizing the present invention. The cladding  12  has an exterior class A surface  14  upon which styling considerations are applied. In the present example, a styling line  16  and a contour  18  extend longitudinally to a distal end of the cladding  12 . The styling line  16  and contour  18  must align with an adjacent panel with corresponding lines and contours. 
     Cladding  12  generally has a high aspect ratio, meaning that the height of the cladding  12  is significantly greater than its thickness. Cladding  12  has vertically extending support flanges  20  along an upper periphery. Flanges  20  each have a series of apertures  22  and detents  23 . Detent  23  can be in the form of a recess or a through aperture. In the present example, flanges  20  are illustrated as a series of flanges. However, a single continuous flange could also be provided. 
     The lower periphery of the cladding  12  is provided with a horizontally extending flange  24 . Flange  24  is provided with a series of apertures  26 . 
     The inner side of the cladding  12  is provided with a series of mounting brackets  28  and  30 . Bracket  28  is preferably an elongate bracket stamped from sheet metal and extends between the lower flange  24  and one of the apertures  22  in the upper flange  20 . Similarly, brackets  30  extend from the lower flange  24  to one of the apertures  22  in the upper flange  20 . Rivets  29  or other suitable fasteners attach brackets  28 ,  30  onto cladding  12 . Each of the brackets  28  and  30  has a mounting bore  32 ,  34 . 
     Flange  20  is provided with a series of clips  36  at each detent  23  location. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, clip  36  of a clip assembly of the present invention comprises a flange engaging head  38  and a cylindrical shaft  40 . Head  38  has a U-shaped slot  42  which extends perpendicular to the shaft  40 . Slot  42  is sized to slidingly receive flange  20 . Head  38  has an axially extending tab  44  biased to allow engagement of the clip  36  onto flange  20  and to resist removal. Head  38  preferably has a tapered contour and a series of ribs to improve rigidity. Shaft  40  has a conical end  46  and a series of adjacent ridges  48 . 
     Clip  36  is applied to the flange  20  such that tab  44  engages detent  23  for attachment thereto. The head  38  will complementarily fit between the flange  20  and the contour of the cladding  12  opposite class A surface  14 . Clip  36  is molded from a NYLON material to be relatively rigid. Once the clip  36  is applied to the flange  20  and tab  44  engages detent  23 , clip  36  is firmly attached to the flange  20 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, a typical body structure  50  is illustrated. In the present example, the body structure  50  is a quarter panel of a pick up truck bed. At the location where the cladding  12  is to be mounted, the body  50  is provided with a series of guide slots  52 , fastening slots  54  and a pilot aperture  56 . Guide slots  52  and fastening slots  54  each has a major axis which is longer than its minor axis. The major axis of each of the slots  52 ,  54  extend tangentially from a center located at pilot aperture  56 . In other words, guide slots  52  and fastening slots  54  are radially spaced from pilot aperture  56 . Pilot aperture  56  has a rectangular outline with an arcuate lobe extending perpendicular to the major axis of the rectangular outline. Preferably, pilot aperture  56  is located to receive an end of the cladding  12  that does not require adjustment. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a key slide  60  of the clip assembly of the present invention is illustrated. Key slide  60  is preferably injection molded from a NYLON material and has a tubular body  62 , a head  64 , winglets  66 , end  68 , cap  69  and a tab  70 . Tubular body  62  has an inner diameter sized to receive shaft  40  of clip  36 . End  68  is tapered to frictionally engage ridges  48  of clip  36 . End  68  has a series of slots  74  increasing flexibility and biasing the end  68  to enable insertion and resist removal of the clip  36 . Cap  69  is shaped to be slightly concave. 
     Head  64  is truncated along a chord extending from the outer diameter of the body  62 . Opposite the truncated side and extending axially is tab  70 . Tab  70  is sized to fit within the width (minor axis) of guide slots  52  and pilot slot  56 . Head  64  can be any non-circular shape so that the installer can visually confirm that the key guide has been rotated into position. 
     Winglets  66  extend diametrically from opposite sides of the body  62  and are sized to be inserted through guide slots  52 . Winglets  66  are spaced from the head  64  a distance approximating the thickness of the body structure  50 . The concavity of cap  69  will slightly bias the key slide  60  into frictional engagement once installed on the body structure  50 . 
     Key slides  60  are slidingly attached to the body structure  50  by first presenting the body  62  into the guide slot  52 . Winglets  66  are then aligned with the major axis of the guide slots so that the winglets  66  are inserted therethrough. The key slides  60  are then rotated a ¼ turn until the tab  70  snaps into the guide slot  52  retaining the key slides  60  on the body structure  50 . Key slides  60  are thus able to slide along the major axis of the guide slots  52 . 
     Key slide  60  is applied to the pilot slot  56  in a similar manner. However, the size of the lobe of pilot aperture  56  is such that the tab  70  of the key slide  60  snaps into place once the key slide  60  has been rotated a ¼ turn. Thus, key slide  60  will not move in any direction an appreciable amount. 
     To install a cladding  12 , the cladding  12  is provided with the brackets  28 ,  30 . Clips  36  are applied to the flanges  20  to engage detents  23 . The body structure  50  is provided with the key slides  60 . The cladding  12  is applied to the body structure  50  by inserting the shafts  40  of clips  36  into the key slides  60  until the ridges  48  initially engages end  68  in a first engagement position. At this point, the cladding  12  pivots about the pilot aperture  56 . The distal end with the styling line  16  and contour  18  is moved up or down to align the styling line  16  and contour  18  with the adjacent panel. Once aligned, the cladding  12  can be firmly pressed onto the body structure  50  to move shaft  40  through key slides  60  into a second engagement position holding the cladding  12  relative to the body structure  50 . The mounting bores  32 ,  34  will align with mounting slots  54 . The mounting bores  32 ,  34  and mounting slots  54  are each oversized so that there is a predetermined amount tolerance which accommodates the relative movement. A rivet or other fastener  76  is applied the bores  32 ,  34  and mounting slots  54  permanently attaching the cladding  12  to the body structure  50 . 
     The clips and assembly method of the present invention is particularly advantageous for modular type assembly methods currently employed in the automotive industry. The panels or claddings may be applied to a sub-assembly at a first location, shipped as a sub-assembly to a second location for final assembly to the vehicle. At the first location, the panels or claddings are applied such that the claddings are still adjustable, yet sufficiently attached to withstand shipping. Once the sub-assembly has been assembled onto the vehicle, the claddings can be adjusted and aligned and then firmly attached to hold the claddings in place. Thereafter, fasteners can be applied to permanently attach the panels to the body structure. 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.