Abstract:
The invention concerns a vehicle having a closure with a handle surrounded by a handle bezel, and a method of assembling the handle bezel to the closure. The handle bezel, which may contain a key cylinder, mounts around the handle and includes a retainer bracket having a retaining clip. The retaining clip includes fastener retention tabs that engage with a fastener extending from an inner surface of the closure. The fastener retention tabs allow the handle bezel to be installed from the outer surface of the closure without requiring extra fastener installation. But the handle bezel cannot be removed from the closure without access to the inner surface of the closure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/725,826, filed Oct. 12, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a retainer clip, and in particular to a retainer clip for use with a handle bezel on a vehicle closure and a method of installing the handle bezel. 
     In many conventional automotive vehicles, at least one of the passenger doors has a handle bezel with an opening for inserting a key into a key cylinder in order to unlock the door latch. This is also true for the lift gates and similar cargo closures on station wagons, sport utility vehicles and vans. In addition, the key cylinder on the rear openings are generally keyed to unlock with the same key as the passenger doors. 
     The end gates (also called lift gates) of conventional pickup trucks, on the other hand, did not include locks. More recently, however, end gates in some pickup trucks have added a lock cylinder for locking the end gate latch. The addition of a lock cylinder adds extra steps in the assembly process since now a key cylinder needs to be assembled to the handle bezel of the end gate before the bezel is mounted to the end gate. Moreover, the additional key cylinder for the end gate is preferably brought to the vehicle at the same time as the key cylinder for the passenger door(s) in order to assure that a matched set (a set that will use the same key) is assembled to each vehicle. An extra assembly station in the assembly plant can be added to accomplish these tasks, but this can be undesirable from both a cost and an assembly process standpoint. The matched key cylinders can also be tracked separately in the plant, but this is generally undesirable from both a cost and assembly process standpoint. 
     Some end gates on pickup trucks include an access panel on the inner surface adjacent to the latch handle, providing access to a securing means within the end gate for the handle assembly as well as the handle bezel and lock cylinder. This may allow for assembly at a single station. However, not all end gates include such an access panel, and this may not always eliminate the need for another assembly station. 
     Another option is to provide a fastener that will secure the handle bezel on the outer surface of the end gate by extending through the bezel and engaging the end gate. This is not only less aesthetically attractive, but this would somewhat defeat the purpose for adding a lock on the end gate in the first place since one may be able to defeat the lock by unscrewing the fastener and removing the handle bezel to unlatch the end gate. 
     Thus, it is desirable to have some means on the inner surface of the end gate to allow one to release the handle bezel when needing repair, while preventing the bezel from being released and removed from the outer surface of the end gate. Preferably, this is accomplished while still allowing for flexibility in the timing and station at which the handle bezel is installed on the end gate in the assembly plant. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An embodiment contemplates a handle bezel for use on a closure of a vehicle. The handle bezel may include a bezel body having an opening adapted to receive a handle; a retainer bracket extending outward from the bezel body and including a support flange; and a retainer clip mounted to the retainer bracket and including a main surface having a fastener opening extending therethrough, and a plurality of fastener retention tabs extending generally radially inward into the fastener opening and extending out of plane to the main surface, with the plurality of fastener retention tabs adapted to slidably engage a fastener mounted to the closure when the handle bezel is biased toward the closure and securingly engage the fastener mounted to the closure when the handle bezel is biased away from the closure. 
     An embodiment contemplates a closure of a vehicle. The closure of the vehicle may have an outer surface including a handle opening, and an inner surface in opposed relation to the outer surface. A latch handle assembly is located within the handle opening, has a handle portion, and is secured to the inner surface. A fastener extends through the inner surface toward the outer surface. The closure may also have a handle bezel including a bezel body having an opening that receives the handle portion; a retainer bracket extending outward from the bezel body; and a retainer clip mounted to the retainer bracket and including a main surface having a fastener opening extending therethrough, and a plurality of fastener retention tabs extending generally radially inward into the fastener opening and extending out of plane to the main surface, with the fastener retention tabs slidably engaging the fastener when the handle bezel is biased toward the closure and securingly engaging the fastener when the handle bezel is biased away from the closure. 
     An embodiment contemplates a method of assembling a handle bezel to a vehicle closure having an outer surface and an inner surface, the method comprising the steps of: assembling a latch handle assembly to the vehicle closure with at least one fastener extending through the inner surface and extending toward the outer surface; slidably inserting a handle bezel through a handle opening in the outer surface around a handle portion of the latch handle assembly; slidably engaging a retainer clip mounted to the handle bezel around the fastener as the handle bezel is axially moved toward the outer surface; and engaging fastener retention tabs on the fastener such that axially sliding disengagement of the retainer clip from the fastener is prevented. 
     An advantage of an embodiment is the flexibility provided in determining when and where, in an assembly plant, the handle bezel is assembled to the end gate (closure). This may reduce costs by avoiding the need to separately sequence the assembly of the end gate key cylinder, eliminating the need to install a separate fastener specifically for the purpose of securing the handle bezel to the end gate, and/or eliminating the need for a separate assembly station. 
     An advantage of an embodiment is that the key cylinder can be installed to the handle bezel and then located with the vehicle for later assembly in order to assure that the end gate key cylinder is matched to a passenger door key cylinder. The handle bezel (with key cylinder) can then be assembly to the end gate at the most advantageous location in the assembly process. 
     An advantage of an embodiment is that the handle bezel and key cylinder require access to the inner surface of the end gate in order to be removed, thus maintaining the theft deterrence function while still allowing for repair and replacement of the handle bezel and key cylinder. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of an end gate of an automotive vehicle. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded, perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of an inner surface of the end gate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of a latch assembly of the end gate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of an outer surface of the end gate of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partially exploded, schematic, perspective view of the end gate and handle bezel. 
         FIG. 6  is a partially exploded, perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the latch handle assembly and handle bezel of the end gate of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a bracket portion and retainer clip of the handle bezel. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the retainer clip of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-8  illustrate a vehicle end gate (tail gate), indicated generally at  10 , and portions thereof, in accordance with the present invention. The end gate  10  has an outer surface  12  that faces in an aft direction of the vehicle (not shown) and an inner surface  14  that faces in a forward direction of the vehicle. The inner surface  14  may be, for example, at a rear of and facing into a cargo box (not shown) of a pickup truck, when the end gate  10  is in its closed (vertical) position. 
     The outer surface  12  includes a handle opening  16 , around which are located three tab slots  18 . The inner surface  14  includes three fastener holes  20  opposite the handle opening  16 . The upper two of the three fastener holes  20  receive a pair of top fasteners  22 , while the lower of the three fastener holes  20  receives a bottom fastener  24 . The fasteners may be, for example, bolts or screws. 
     A latch assembly  26  assembles into a latch handle assembly  28 . The latch handle assembly  28  may be assembled to the end gate  10  by inserting the latch handle assembly  28  into the handle opening  16 , connecting the latch handle assembly  28  to latch rods  32 , and then securing the latch assembly  26  to the end gate  10  by inserting the fasteners  22 ,  24  through the fastener holes  20  and screwing them into fastener holes  30  in the latch assembly  26 . The latch rods  32  may engage catches  34  (only left side shown) that operatively engage the vehicle to hold the end gate  10  in its closed position. The catches  34  are selectively releasable by the latch handle assembly  28  to allow the end gate  10  to pivot about hinges  36  (only left side shown) into an open (horizontal) position. 
     A handle bezel  40  includes main body  41  with a handle opening  42  for receiving the handle portion  44  of the latch handle assembly  28  therethrough. The handle bezel  40  can be installed immediately after or during installation of the latch handle assembly  28 , or at a later time. The handle bezel  40  has three integral tabs  46  extending from the main body  41  that are located to align with and slide into the tab slots  18  when the handle bezel  40  is in the correct location and orientation relative to the handle opening  16 . Each of the integral tabs  46  may include a retention spring  48  mounted thereon to provide a biasing force to help retain the integral tabs  46  in their respective tab slots  18 . 
     The handle bezel  40  also includes a mount  50  for mounting a key cylinder  52  thereto. The key cylinder  52  engages with the latch handle assembly  28  to lock and unlock the assembly based on which direction a key (not shown) is turned in the key cylinder  52 . The key cylinder and its engagement with the latch handle assembly  28  may be conventional, if so desired, and so will not be discussed or shown in more detail herein. 
     In addition, the handle bezel  40  includes a retainer bracket  54  extending from the main body  41 . The retainer bracket  54  is located to align with—and has support flanges  56  that are located to extend partially around—the bottom fastener  24  when the handle bezel  40  is mounted to the end gate  10 . A retainer clip  58  mounts in the retainer bracket  54 . It has mounting flanges  60  that are received in slots  57  of and supported by the support flanges  56 . A pair of bracket retention tabs  62  extend from the retainer clip  58  and engage with the slots  57  to prevent the retainer clip  58  from sliding out of the support flanges  56 . A stiffening flange  64  extends from the retainer clip  58  and is located between the slots  57 . The stiffening flange  64  helps minimize the flexing of the retainer bracket  54  when out of plane forces are applied to the bracket  54 . 
     The retainer clip  58  also includes a fastener opening  66  in a main surface  70 , with fastener retention tabs  68  extending radially inward toward the center of the opening  66 . The fastener retention tabs  68  are angled out of plane from the main surface  70 . The fastener retention tabs  68  are oriented to extend radially inward and aft when the handle bezel  40  is mounted in the end gate  10 , with the fastener retention tabs  68  extending radially inward far enough to engage with threads on the bottom fastener  24 . 
     Assembly of the handle bezel  40  to the end gate  10  may include assembling the key cylinder  52  to the handle bezel  40  at the same time as a key cylinder (not shown) for a passenger door (not shown) is installed in that door so that the key cylinders will unlock with the same key (not shown). The handle bezel  40  for the end gate  10  may then be kept with the vehicle until such time as it is desirable to install the handle bezel  40  to the end gate  10 . Of course, other sequencing may be employed in the assembly plant instead, if so desired. 
     The handle bezel  40  is assembled to the end gate  10  by aligning each integral tab  46  with its corresponding tab slot  18  and pushing it into position. While pushing it into position, the retention springs  48  on the integral tabs  46  will each engage with its corresponding tab slot  18 , and the retainer clip  58  will slide over the bottom fastener  24 , with the fastener retention tabs  68  engaging the threads of the bottom fastener  24 . The bottom fastener  24  will already have been installed previously while securing the latch assembly  26  to the end gate  10 . 
     The retainer clip  58  on the retainer bracket  54  of the handle bezel  40 , then, allows one to assemble the handle bezel  40  to the end gate  10  without having to lower the end gate  10 , and without having to add—or remove and reinstall—any additional fasteners to secure it in place. Accordingly, once the vehicle reaches a final trim station in an assembly plant, for example, the handle bezel  40  can be assembled to the end gate  10 , even though a lock cylinder for a passenger door and the latch handle assembly  28  have been installed at previous stations in the assembly plant. 
     Moreover, since the fastener retention tabs  68  on the retainer clip  58  are angled to extend in the aft direction (i.e., extending back toward the bezel  40  and away from the head of the fastener  24 ), they will flex around the fastener threads during assembly of the handle bezel  40  to the end gate  10 , but will flex into the fastener threads to prevent removal of the handle bezel  40  if one attempts to remove it—thus effectively acting like barbs on a Christmas tree type of fastener. Unlike a Christmas tree type of fastener, though, the handle bezel  40  can be removed for service. One need only to unscrew the bottom fastener  24  to disengage it from the fastener retention tabs  68  on the retainer clip  58 , and then pull on the handle bezel  40  to cause the integral tabs  46  to release from the tab slots  18 . 
     Thus, while the handle bezel  40  can be assembled with only access to the outer surface  12 , it cannot be removed without having access to the bottom fastener  24  on the inner surface  14 . This ensures that the added security provided by the key cylinder  52  is not compromised. 
     Another step that may be included in the installation of the handle bezel  40  is to apply a double sided tape  72  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) to portions of the inner (forward) side of the handle bezel  40 . Then, when the handle bezel  40  is slid into place, the double sided tape  72  will adhere to the outer surface  12  around the perimeter of the handle opening  16 , providing additional retention capability. 
     Even though a handle bezel and key cylinder for an end gate of a vehicle have been discussed herein, such a bezel with a retainer clip may also be employed for assembly of other bezels to other vehicle closures. 
     While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.