Patent ID: 8677572

Claim:
A retainer adapted to retain a molding strip in covering relation to a vehicle roof ditch having a base portion, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the retainer comprising: a base attachment element adapted for disposition within the roof ditch in operative connection to the base portion of the roof ditch in an absence of a strip attachment element interfacing with the base attachment element, the strip attachment element having a first side, a second side, a first lateral edge and a length dimension, the length dimension adapted for orientation between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the strip attachment element adapted to be fitted to the base attachment element, the strip attachment element including an arrangement of projections adapted to engage the molding strip, wherein the arrangement of projections includes a pair of resilient, flexible curved projections extending in diverging partial arcs, each resilient, flexible curved projection having an end affixed to the first lateral edge of the strip attachment element, the strip attachment element further including at least one spring biasing leg affixed to the second side at an elevation oriented between the flexible curved projections and the base portion of the roof ditch, the spring biasing leg extending an operative length from the second side of the strip attachment element for contacting, flexing relation with the second sidewall, such that the spring biasing leg continuously urges the strip attachment element away from the second sidewall and towards the first sidewall.