Patent ID: 8181991

Claim:
An instrument panel assembly mounted in an interior compartment of a vehicle, the instrument panel assembly comprising: an instrument panel reinforcement bar fixedly mounted to the vehicle, an elongated member, the elongated member having a fixed length and is fixedly mounted to the instrument panel reinforcement bar; a lower panel having an inner surface opposite an outer surface, the outer surface exposed to the interior compartment of the vehicle, the lower panel spaced apart from the elongated member; at least one clip having an aperture disposed between a pair of generally parallel walls, the walls extending generally coaxially with a first axis, wherein each of the at least one clip is disposed on one of either the lower panel or the elongated member and movable along the first axis; and at least one tab and a locator pin, wherein each of the at least one tab and the locator pin is disposed on the other of the lower panel or the elongated member, and movable along the first axis, the locator pin includes a pin flange extending away from a beveled head, the locator pin is registered to engage the aperture of the clip so as to facilitate the locking engagement of each of the at least one clip to each of the at least one tab, each of the at least one tab spaced apart from and registered to a respective one of each of the at least one clip, and wherein each of the at least one clip and each of the at least one tab are configured to lockingly engage each other so as to fix the lower panel relative to the instrument panel reinforcement bar when the lower panel and elongated member are driven into contact with each other along the first axis, and prevent the lower panel from separating from the elongated member.