Abstract:
An arrangement for securing an inner panel to a vehicle substrate uses a securing clip mounted to a clip housing in an elongate hole with a closed end and an open end. The inner diameter of a securing region in the elongate hole is greater than the diameter of the shaft of the securing clip, allowing lateral shifting of the clip so that its shaft can realign during insertion into a corresponding mating hole in the substrate. The securing region of the elongate hole includes centering members constructed in such a manner that an inserted securing clip is retained in a centered position. Consequently, the tolerance compensation function of the clips is optimized.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to application 102013200108.8, filed in the German Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 7, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates in general to trim mounting systems for vehicle interiors, and, more specifically, to an arrangement for securing an inner lining portion or trim panel to a vehicle bodywork or substrate (such as a door frame). At least one clip housing is provided on the trim panel having an elongate hole for receiving the head of a securing clip or pin. The elongate hole has a closed end and an open end. The head of the securing clip is able to be inserted laterally into the open end of the elongate hole, with the provision that the closed end of the elongate hole forms a securing region which cooperates with a shaft of the securing clip. The inner diameter of the securing region is greater than the diameter of the shaft of the securing clip, allowing the clip to shift laterally while remaining secured. After the securing clip is held in the elongate hole, it is pressed into and locked into a mating hole in the substrate in order to mount the trim panel such that the mounting arrangement is hidden from view. Lateral shifting of the shaft ensures that it can align with the substrate mating hole. 
     One conventional mounting arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,607, which refers to the securing clip as a pressure pin. Each clip has a tip that is to be secured in a corresponding hole of the vehicle substrate. After a plurality of securing clips have been secured in the respective clip housings, the inner lining portion is attached to the substrate by positioning the tips so that they approach the substrate mating holes. The spacings between the individual mating holes, however, are subject to specific production tolerances. In order to be able to compensate for these, the outer diameter of the shaft can be made smaller than the inner diameter of the opening of the housing in the inner lining portion in which it is inserted. The securing clip is thereby retained with lateral play in the opening of the inner lining portion and can assume an offset position relative to the opening. The spacing from one securing clip to another may thus vary in the context of possible offsets in the spacings of the mating holes, and can thus automatically adapt to the actual spacing of the mating holes in the substrate. 
     To reiterate, in order to assemble an inner lining portion on a vehicle substrate, the securing clips are first inserted into the elongate holes of the clip housings. Subsequently, when the inner lining portion is connected to the vehicle substrate, the tips of the securing clips have to be introduced in the mating holes. 
     In conventional use, the lateral shifting of the clips within the housing prior to mating with the substrate has resulted in an uncontrolled or random placement of each clip within its range of possible shifting movement at the time of attempted insertion into the substrate. In the event that a substrate mating hole is off tolerance in one direction and the corresponding clip is shifted to an extreme position in the opposite direction, a misalignment may occur that makes insertion difficult or impossible. Thus, the known arrangements do not ensure that the spacings of the securing clips correspond sufficiently to the spacings of the corresponding mating holes so that the tips of the securing clips can be readily inserted. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to improve the arrangement in such a manner that an inner lining portion can be connected to the vehicle bodywork or substrate in a more simple manner. 
     This object is achieved according to the invention in that at least in the securing region of the elongate slot there are provided a centering member constructed in such a manner that an inserted securing clip is initially retained in a centered manner in the securing region. Consequently, the tolerance compensation function is optimized. 
     The term centered in the context of the present invention is intended to be understood to refer to a predetermined position of the shaft of the securing clip relative to the securing region of the elongate slot, prior to insertion into the mating holes of the substrate. The centered position may be a coaxial position between the securing region and securing clip. 
     Two securing clips which are inserted in the clip housings thereof, before they are connected to a vehicle substrate, assume a neutral position (i.e., centered in the securing region of the respective elongate slot). They assume neither a larger spacing, which would be possible in the context of the offsets, nor a smaller spacing. 
     As a result of the measure which ensures a centered (neutral) position of each securing clip within the associated clip housing, extremely large and extremely small spacings between two securing clips are prevented and in this manner the probability is increased that they can be inserted into the holes of the vehicle substrate provided for this purpose. 
     The securing region of the elongate slot of the clip housing includes a centering member. The centering member preferably includes at least one resilient centering element. Furthermore, the elongate hole of the clip housing may include a separate element insertable into the housing to define the resilient surface. In this manner, centering means may be easily obtained having different characteristics, for example, with a more or less powerful centering action. Furthermore, damaged centering means can be readily replaced for repair purposes. The separate replacement element may comprise plastics material and/or metal. 
     Advantageously, the inner lining portion is provided with at least one integrated clip housing (sometimes referred to as a “doghouse”). For an inner lining of a vehicle door, four of more securing clips may be used in order to securely connect the door lining to the vehicle door. The clip housings, during the production of the inner lining, may be formed as an integral component thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a clip housing of an arrangement according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-section through the clip housing according to  FIG. 1  with the securing clip inserted. 
         FIG. 3  shows an inner lining portion for a vehicle door having a plurality of integrated clip housings. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged cutout of an integrated clip housing according to  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  shows an alternative clip housing having a separate replacement element having an elongate slot and centering means. 
         FIG. 6  shows the clip housing according to  FIG. 5  without any replacement element. 
         FIG. 7  shows the separate replacement element from the clip housing according to  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  shows an alternative replacement element having an elongate slot and centering means. 
         FIG. 9  shows another alternative of a replacement element having an elongate slot and centering means. 
         FIG. 10  shows an alternative clip housing having a separate replacement element having an elongate slot and centering means. 
         FIG. 11  shows the separate replacement element from the clip housing according to  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  shows an alternative clip housing having a separate replacement element having an elongate slot and centering means. 
         FIG. 13  shows the separate replacement element from the clip housing according to  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
    
     For ease of understanding, identical reference numbers are used for identical features in the different embodiments. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to  FIG. 1 , the clip housing  1  of the arrangement according to the invention comprises plastics material. It has a base plate  2  having two securing holes  3 . Furthermore, it is provided with a housing  4  which is parallelepipedal. The parallelepipedal housing  4  has no base and instead the base plate  2  is recessed in this region. One of the parallelepiped sides has an opening  5 . The upper side  6  of the parallelepiped facing away from the base plate  2  is provided with an elongate slot  7  which has a free end  7   a . The free elongate slot end  7   a  is located at the parallelepiped side provided with the opening  5 . The end  7   b  of the elongate slot  7  opposite the free end  7   a  forms a securing region  8  for a securing clip  9 , as can be seen in  FIG. 2 . According to  FIG. 1 , a web  10  is provided spaced below the upper side  6  of the parallelepiped. A free space  11  is formed between the web  10  and the upper side  6 . The free space  11  serves to receive a head  9   a  of the securing clip  9 . In the elongate slot  7 , there is provided a centering member, which may preferably that the form of resilient elements which extend into the securing region  8 . 
     The resilient elements are constructed as bending beams or springs  12 ,  13  and  14 . One end of each spring is constructed integrally with the clip housing  1 . This is because the bending springs are formed on the inner wall of the elongate slot  7 . At each elongate slot side, there extends a bending spring  12  or  13  in the region of the open end  7   a  of the elongate slot  7 , respectively. The bending springs  12  and  13  each protrude with the free end thereof as far as a location in the securing region  8 . The third bending spring  14  is constructed to be shorter than the other bending springs. It extends from the securing region  8  on the inner wall of the elongate slot  7 . The free end thereof protrudes into the securing region  8 . 
     If a securing clip  9  is inserted into the securing region  8 , the bending springs are pretensioned since a shaft  9   b  of the securing clip  9  comes into contact with the bending springs  12 ,  13  and  14 . The degree of pretensioning is dependent on the diameter which the shaft  9   b  has. The pretensioning may be so great and the resilient path of the bending springs  12 ,  13  and  14  so great that the free ends thereof touch the inner side of the elongate slot  7 . The inner side then acts as a counter-bearing for the bending springs. When the bending springs become deformed, the free ends thereof may slide along the inner side of the elongate slot  7 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , the clip housing  1  of  FIG. 1  is illustrated in cross-section, with the securing clip  9  inserted. The securing clip  9  has a flat head  9   a , a cylindrical shaft  9   b  and a conical tip  9   c . Furthermore, another cylindrical region  9   d  with a collar  9   e  arranged thereon is provided below the tip. The flat head  9   a  of the securing clip  9  fits into the free space  11  which is formed between the web  10  of the clip housing and the upper side  6  thereof. Since its head  9   a  is enclosed, the securing clip  9  is fixed in the axial direction thereof. The cylindrical region  9   d , which is formed below the conical tip  9   c , has a diameter which is greater than the width of the elongate slot  7  of the clip housing. The securing clip  9  is retained centrally in the securing region  8  of the elongate slot  7  by means of the bending springs. 
       FIG. 3  shows an inner lining portion  15  for a vehicle door. The inner lining portion  15  is produced from plastics material and provided with a plurality of integrated clip housings. An enlarged cutout of an integrated clip housing is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The integrated clip housing substantially corresponds to that according to  FIG. 1 , the base plate  2  illustrated in  FIG. 1  being replaced by the inner lining portion  15  which carries the integrated clip housing in an integral manner. 
     An alternative clip housing of plastics material is shown in  FIG. 5 . This is provided with a separate replacement element  16  having an elongate slot  7  and centering means. The replacement element  16  is also produced from plastics material. In  FIG. 5 , the replacement element  16  is connected to the clip housing  1 . The centering means provided in this replacement element  16  correspond to those of the embodiment according to  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the clip housing from  FIG. 5  with the replacement element removed. The separate replacement element  16  is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The upper side  6  of the clip housing has a recess  17  into which the replacement element fits. In order to connect the two components, the inner edge of the recess  17  is provided with a spring  18  and, on the outer edge of the replacement element  16 , there is provided a groove  19  which corresponds to the spring  18  of the recess  17 . 
       FIG. 8  shows an alternative replacement element  20 , which can also be inserted into the recess  17  of the clip housing according to  FIG. 6 . It also has an elongate slot  7  and centering means and the outer edge thereof is also provided with a groove  19 . In this embodiment, a symmetrical bending spring element  21  is provided as a centering means. It has a contour which extends parallel and with spacing relative to the elongate slot  7 . In the region of the open end  7   a  of the elongate slot  7 , the bending spring element  21  is secured at both sides, that is to say, is in each case integrally formed on one and the other elongate slot inner side. In the securing region  8  in this embodiment, there is no free end of a spring provided, but instead the two symmetric halves of the bending spring element  21  meet each other in the securing region  8  and are joined together at an apex. 
     Another alternative for a replacement element is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . This replacement element  22  is based on the bending spring element according to  FIG. 8 . However, it has been modified and has two symmetrical bending springs  23  and  24 . In contrast to  FIG. 8 , an interruption of the bending spring element (gap) is provided in the region of the apex. The free ends of the bending springs  23  and  24  are thereby produced and protrude into the securing region  8  and thus form two independent bending springs. The outer edge of the replacement element  22  is also provided with a groove  19  which corresponds to the spring  18  at the inner edge of the recess  17  of the housing of  FIG. 6 . 
     Another embodiment is illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 .  FIG. 10  shows another clip housing which substantially corresponds to the clip housing according to  FIG. 1 . However, the centering element has been modified. The modified centering element is a metal spring  25  arranged symmetrically in the elongate slot  7  of the clip housing. It has a contour which extends parallel and with spacing relative to the elongate slot  7 , in a similar manner to the bending spring in  FIG. 8 . 
     In the region of the open end  7   a  of the elongate slot  7 , the two ends of the metal spring  25  are secured to the clip housing. To this end, according to  FIG. 11 , a retention portion  25   a  or  25   b  is provided at each end of the metal spring, respectively. In a state corresponding to the retention portions  25   a  and  25   b  of the metal spring  25 , the upper side  6  of the clip housing is provided with laterally open retention pockets  26   a  and  26   b . These are constructed so as to be open at the side so that the retention portions  25   a  and  25   b  of the metal spring  25  can be inserted laterally into the retention pockets  26   a  and  26   b , that is to say, in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the elongate slot  7 . The direction of the joining movement for the metal spring  25  is advantageously the same as the joining direction for pushing the securing clip  9  into the elongate slot  7 . This correspondence of the joining direction promotes automation of the assembly. 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  show an embodiment which is modified with respect to the embodiment mentioned above.  FIG. 12  differs from the clip housing of  FIG. 10  because of a different shape of the retention pockets  27   a  and  27   b  and because of a metal spring  28  which corresponds thereto. The retention pockets  27   a  and  27   b  of the clip housing are constructed so as to be open towards the top. Consequently, the corresponding retention pockets  28   a  and  28   b  of the metal spring  28  can be inserted from above into the retention pockets, that is to say, in a direction perpendicular relative to the upper side  6  of the clip housing. Furthermore, the metal spring  28  also has a contour which extends parallel and with spacing relative to the elongate slot  7  and which resembles the contour of the bending spring according to  FIG. 8 .