Patent ID: 7753402

Claim:
An air bag assembly mounting system comprising: a fastener ( 70 ) having a base plate ( 72 ) with a front side and a rear side, a resilient expansion element ( 90 ) along the rear side of the base plate which is configured to extend through an opening ( 204 ) in a mounting surface ( 510 ) in a vehicle and through a portion of an air bag ( 200 ) or an air bag cover, so as to clamp the air bag or cover to the mounting surface ( 510 ) between a second or rear side of the base plate and the mounting surface with the expansion element on an opposite side of the mounting surface, the resilient expansion element comprising two opposing resilient clips ( 90 a , 90 b ) each having a center or inner leg extending from the base plate and an outer leg resiliently supported by and configured as an extension of the center or inner leg, the outer leg, at a distal end, including an engagement surface adapted to engage an edge of an opening in the mounting surface, each engagement surface of each outer leg configured to move closer to each other during assembly of the fastener to the mounting surface to a reduced dimension enabling insertion of the fastener into the mounting surface opening and to assume a released position wider than the mounting surface opening upon insertion therein; wherein each outer leg proximate the engagement surface thereof includes a first opening to facilitate insertion of a portion of a removal tool in a direction from exterior of the mounting surface into the mounting surface, the tool adapted to move each outer leg together to a compressed position.