Patent ID: 7677653

Claim:
A retainer assembly for connecting a headliner panel to a support structure, the retainer assembly comprising: a retainer clip configured to connect the support structure to the headliner panel, the retainer clip including a stem portion and a head portion connected to the stem portion, the stem portion having a stem length and a stem width, and the head portion having a head length and a head width; and a slot defined in the support structure and configured to receive the stem portion of the retainer clip, the slot having a slot length in a longitudinal direction and a slot width in a transverse direction, such that a float length is defined by the difference between the slot length and stem length and a float width is defined by the difference between the slot width and the stem width, wherein the headliner panel is longitudinally and transversely moveable with respect to the support structure over a range of motion defined by the float length and the float width, and the head width and the head length of the head portion are dimensioned to maintain engagement between the head portion of the retainer clip and the support structure over the range of motion.