Patent ID: 7488032

Claim:
An attachment joint for controlling fit and finish of a connection between exterior body members of a motor vehicle comprising: a first mating portion located on a first member; a second mating portion located on a second member, wherein the first and second mating portions define a hook and slot coupling located between the first member and the second member for interlocking engagement with one another for holding the first member with respect to the second member in at least two directions; and a third member connectible to the first member and the second member to lock the first and second mating portions in a third direction, wherein the hook and slot coupling includes an elongate slot having a continuous perimeter at least partially defined by a wide portion adjacent one end of the slot and a narrow portion adjacent an opposite end of the slot, wherein the hook and slot coupling includes a hook having an engagement barb spaced adjacent an end of an outwardly extending support base, the engagement barb of the hook is sufficiently small to be inserted through the wide portion of the slot in a direction perpendicular to the slot, while being sufficiently large to prevent disengagement of the barb from the slot when located within the narrow portion of the slot, and wherein the second member includes an alignment pin and the third member includes an alignment aperture configured and arranged to receive the pin.