Abstract:
A resilient clip for engaging a structure and having a body portion with a pair of top flanges, a pair of fastening members and a pair of abutting flanges. Each of the fastening members has a base portion that is coupled to an associated one of the top flanges. Each of the abutting flanges has a locking fingers which engages the mounting structure. Finger flange portions are configured to engage a first side of a mounting flange on an interior trim component.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to resilient clip fasteners and more particularly to a resilient clip fastener that employs a two piece geometry to secure the body portion of the resilient clip to a structure. More specifically, the present invention relates to a resilient clip fastener having a construction that utilizes a plastic body portion which is coupled to a metal retainer having abutment flanges to couple of an attachment flange. The invention also relates to a resilient clip fastener having a construction that accounts in several manners for part-to-part variation between the structures that are to be fastened together.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Many current vehicles employ resilient clips to secure various components to the vehicle body. One such application concerns interior panels that mount to the interior of the vehicle such as on the doors. Such panels serve not only to provide occupants with a convenient point to grasp during ingress to and egress from the vehicle, but also provide energy absorption during a crash event.  
           [0003]    During assembly of the vehicle, it is conventional procedure of the entire panel assembly to be installed onto the interior of the vehicle in a single operation. In other words, the panel assembly is passed through either the windshield or backlight opening of the vehicle body on the assembly line and then the panel assembly is secured by line operators to the interior of the vehicle.  
           [0004]    In order to accomplish this assembly task, the panel assembly is typically equipped with numerous fasteners, located around the periphery of the panel assembly as well as at predetermined locations around the interior area of the panel, that are adapted to penetrate through corresponding holes located in the reinforcing sheet metal members of the vehicle interior. It is the responsibility of the line operators to properly orient the panel assembly adjacent the interior of the vehicle and press the fasteners into the various mounting holes in the reinforcing sheet metal members to secure the panel assembly to the interior of the vehicle.  
           [0005]    For aesthetic reasons, the panel fasteners are typically secured in some fashion to the backside of the panel so that they are not visible from the interior of the vehicle after the panel assembly is installed. Consequently, it is often incumbent upon the line operators to blindly “feel” for the location of the mounting holes with their fingers before pressing the fasteners into the holes from the opposite show-surface side of the panel.  
           [0006]    Due to slight misalignments, which can occur between the fasteners and their corresponding mounting holes, some of the fasteners may not be properly seated and secured to the sheet metal.  
           [0007]    Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved fastener having a relatively low installation force and a relatively high removal force that is relatively more tolerant of misalignment problems. Ideally, the fastener should be inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and simple to install. Furthermore, the fastener should be particularly adapted for securing structures to one another in a manner, which minimizes vibration, and the concomitant noise problems that are often associated with such fasteners.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    In one preferred form, the present invention provides a resilient clip for engaging a structure. The resilient clip includes a body portion having a coupling region, a metal retainer is coupled to the coupling region. The metal fastener a pair of fastening members an abutting flange. Each of the fastening members are coupled by a base portion that is coupled to an associated top flange. The abutting flange has fingers that engages the mounting structure. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a front view of a fastener constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a side view of the fastener of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of the fastener of FIG. 1 illustrating the spacing of the structures in greater detail;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  are perspective views of the fastener shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a front view of the two-piece fastener shown in FIG. 4;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a top view of the fastener shown in FIG. 5; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 8 a  and  8   b  are perspective views of the fastener shown in FIG. 5. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4 b,  a two-piece fastener  20  in accordance with the present invention is disclosed. The two-piece fastener  20  is defined by a plastic body portion  22  and a metal retainer  24 . Integral with the metal retainer  24  are pairs of locking fingers  26  and  27  disposed on abutting flanges  28  and  29  which are used to couple the two-piece fastener  20  to a mounting flange  31  of trim component (not shown). Additionally, the body portion  22  has a locking portion  30  which is formed by two sets  32  and  34  of three locking members  36 ,  38 ,  40 . The two sets  32  and  34  of three locking members  36 ,  38 ,  40  are coupled together at a proximal end  42  by an angled or wedge-shaped member  44 . The two sets  32  and  34  of three locking members  36 ,  38 ,  40  are coupled together at a distal end  46  by a sealing umbrella portion  48 . Each of the three locking members  36 ,  38 ,  40  define retaining snap in teeth  50  which facilitate the coupling of the plastic body portion  22  to a sheet metal structure  51 .  
         [0019]    The umbrella portion  48  functions to seal the mounting hole  53  in the sheet metal structure  51  and is formed of an oval planar portion  49  which is surrounded by a generally oval deformable portion  55 . The teeth  50  are configured to pull the deformable oval portion onto the sheet metal  51 .  
         [0020]    Coupled to the distal end  46  and disposed on the sealing umbrella portion  48  is a retaining flange  52  which functions to fluidly seal the aperture. Cut into the retaining flange  52  is a slot  54  which couples to a metal flange  56  on the metal retainer  24 . Disposed within the slot  54  is a pair of members  58  which facilitate the frictional engagement of the slot  54  with the metal flange  56 .  
         [0021]    Generally, the abutting flanges  28  of the metal retainer  24  are defined by three portions. The first portion  60  is defined by a planar engaging surface  62 . Disposed on the planar engaging surface  62  is a first pair of engaging fingers  64  and  66 , which point toward the proximal end of the body portion  22 . The first portion  60  further has an angled insertion portion  68  which facilitates the insertion of the mounting flange  31 . The second and third portions  70  and  72  are coplanar and defined by planar engaging surfaces  74  and  76 . Each of the planar engaging surface  74  and  76  are generally parallel to the first portion  60  and have a pair of engaging fingers  78  and  90  which function to fix the mounting flange within the metal retainer  24 . The engaging fingers of the first embodiment point generally toward the proximal end of the body  22  and act in conjunction with the engaging fingers  64  to clasp the mounting flange  31 . The first portion  60  further defines a transition member  92  which couples the first portion to the metal flange  56  on the metal retainer  24 . Disposed between the first portion  60  and the second and third portions  70  and  72  is a curved coupling region  71 . The curved coupling region  71  functions as a spring member and biases the first through third portions  60 ,  70 ,  72  together.  
         [0022]    Referring generally to FIGS. 5 through 8 b  which depict views of a two-piece fastener  93  according to the teachings of a second embodiment of the current invention. Shown is a second type of metal retainer  94  coupled to the plastic body portion  22 . The metal retainer  94  is generally S-shaped and has a pair of abutting flanges  96  and  98 . The first abutting flange  96  has two pair of parallel fingers which engage the mounting flange  31  of a trim component. Both abutting flanges  96  and  98  have angled portions  102  and  104  which function to guide the mounting flange  31  between the abutting flanges  96  and  98 . The metal retainer  94  includes a c-shaped flange  106  which is configured to be elastically deformed so that it can couple to a plastic flange  108  on the umbrella portion  48  of the plastic body portion  22 . The plastic flange  108  has a tooth portion  110  which engages an engaging finger  112  on the c-shaped flange  106 .  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 is a side view of the two-piece fastener  93  and shows the relationship of the abutting flanges  96  and  98  to mounting flange  31 . As can be seen, the metal retainer  94  defines an upper keyhole slot  46  which facilitates the displacement of the abutting flanges  96  and  98  when the mounting flange  31  is inserted. The umbrella portion  48  of the plastic body portion  22  further has a stop  114  defined thereon. The stop additionally functions to prevent rotation of the metal retainer  94  with respect to the body portion  22 . The stop is configured to limit the amount of insertion of the mounting flange  31 . Further depicted is the angular relationship of the c-shaped flange  106  which couples to a plastic flange  108 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 depicts a front view of the two-piece fastener  93 . Shown is the first abutting flanges  96  and  98  which have two pair of parallel fingers  104  and  106  which engage the mounting flange  31 . Both abutting flanges  96  and  98  have angled portions  102  an  104  which function to guide the mounting flange  31  between the abutting flanges  96  and  98 . The interior convex surface  50  of the abutting flange  98  is configured to engage mounting flange  31  to hold the trim component in place. Also depicted is the interior surface  57  of the finger members  105  and  106 , which engage the surfaces of the mounting flange  31 .  
         [0025]    The foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such a discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications, and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.