Patent ID: 8398161

Claim:
A vehicle headliner attachment system for displaceable attachment of a headliner in at least partial covering relation to a sunroof assembly frame, the attachment system comprising: at least one snap-in male connector including a distal insertion head adapted to be press fit into a corresponding retaining segment of an elongated closed end female acceptance slot by pressing the distal insertion head between opposing edges of the retaining segment, the elongated female acceptance slot being disposed at a position adjacent to the perimeter of a sunroof opening in the assembly frame; and at least one support element adapted to be secured to the headliner at a position adjacent a headliner opening adapted for alignment with the sunroof opening, the support element being further adapted to hold the male connector with the insertion head projecting outwardly away from the headliner, wherein the support element includes a connector retention structure adapted to releaseably hold the male connector, and wherein the support element is oriented on the headliner such that the insertion head of the male connector is slideable along the elongated female acceptance slot adjacent to the perimeter of the sunroof opening without disengaging from the support element when the headliner is moved rearward relative to the assembly frame, and wherein the retaining segment of the elongated female acceptance slot has a width less than the insertion head and is open at a rearward end, such that during attachment of the headliner across the sunroof assembly frame, the headliner may be inserted into an occupant compartment through a windshield opening and the distal insertion head may be inserted into the retaining segment of the elongated female acceptance slot to secure the headliner in at least partial covering relation to the sunroof assembly frame, and such that the headliner may be subsequently disengaged from the sunroof assembly frame by moving the headliner rearward, such that the insertion head slidingly disengages from the retaining segment and the headliner can be removed.