EP-4737745-A1 - HYBRID CLIP

EP4737745A1EP 4737745 A1EP4737745 A1EP 4737745A1EP-4737745-A1

Abstract

A hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip includes a base plate; a pair of legs extending from the base plate; a locking tab formed on the leg; at least one wing extending from the leg comprising: an engagement region on the wing; and snap knuckles. The legs bend away from each other to form a head portion and a lead in section. A locking tab is formed on the second leg. A pair of opposing wing tips at ends of the first and second wings are operable to engage a chassis slot. A plastic carrier has an opening for inserting the base plate. A pair of opposing carrier walls formed on a top end of the carrier bend as the opposing locking tabs slide past the carrier walls; and a pair of opposing locking slots to engage the opposing locking tabs.

Inventors

DICKINSON, DANIEL JAMES

Assignees

Termax Company

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251030

Claims (20)

A hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip, comprising: a metal fastener clip comprising: a base plate; a first leg extending from the base plate; a first locking tab formed on the first leg; at least one first wing extending from the first leg comprising: a first engagement region on the at least one first wing; and a first snap knuckle; a second leg extending from the base plate such that the first leg and the second leg bend away from each other to form a head portion and a lead in section; a second locking tab formed on the second leg; at least one second wing extending from the second leg comprising: a second engagement region on the at least one second wing; and a second snap knuckle opposing the first snap knuckle; and a pair of opposing wing tips at ends of the at least one first wing and the at least one second wing operable to engage a chassis slot; and a plastic carrier having an opening for inserting the base plate; a pair of opposing carrier walls formed on a top end of the plastic carrier to bend as the first locking tab and the second locking tab slide past the pair of opposing carrier walls; and a pair of opposing locking slots to engage the first locking tab and the second locking tab.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein the first snap knuckle and the second snap knuckle further include at least one of: a bend, a bent leg, an abrupt edge, a gradual angled edge, a curve, a single angled edge, a discrete multi-angled edge, and a pointed edge.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein the metal fastener clip is formed by at least one of: stamping, cutting, molding, etching, stamping, cutting, molding, etching, casting, machining, forming, welding, embossing, punching, heat treating, bonding, electroplating, and pressing.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein the first snap knuckle and the second snap knuckle include at least one of: a protrusion, prong, edge, rounded, bulbous, stepped, angled, dimple, and depression.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein: the pair of opposing carrier walls bend relative to the first leg and the second leg and the first locking tab and the second locking tab, and such that the first locking tab and the second locking tab slide past the pair of opposing carrier walls to allow the first locking tab and the second locking tab to correspondingly engage the pair of opposing locking slots.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, further comprising: a sealing flange formed on the plastic carrier; a seal support disc to support the sealing flange; a base disc operable to releasably detach from a corresponding housing on a body panel; and a post between the base disc and the seal support disc to provide spacing.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1 wherein the plastic carrier further comprises: a carrier bottom floor to engage the base plate such that when the first locking tab and the second locking tab engage the pair of opposing locking slots, the base plate is in compression with the carrier bottom floor.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein the head portion and the lead in section are operably inserted into the chassis slot such that the first snap knuckle and the second snap knuckle slide through the chassis slot and snap outwardly and the pair of opposing wing tips engage the chassis slot.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein the pair of opposing wing tips have a curvature matching a curvature of the chassis slot.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein an engagement force is less than an extraction force.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein the plastic carrier is made of at least one of: rubber, plastisol, plastic, acetal, polyacetal, polyoxymethylene, nylon, fiberglass, carbon fiber, polyethylene, polycarbonate, acrylic, neoprene, silicone, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomers.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip of claim 1, wherein the first engagement region and the second engagement region includes at least one of: a protrusion, prong, edge, rounded, bulbous, stepped, angled, dimple, and depression.
A hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly comprising: a body panel comprising a housing; a metal fastener clip comprising: a base plate; a first leg extending from the base plate; a first locking tab formed on the first leg; at least one first wing extending from the first leg comprising: a first engagement region on the at least one first wing; and a first snap knuckle; a second leg extending from the base plate such that the first leg and the second leg bend away from each other to form a head portion and a lead in section; a second locking tab formed on the second leg; at least one second wing extending from the second leg comprising: a second engagement region on the at least one second wing; and a second snap knuckle opposing the first snap knuckle; and a pair of opposing wing tips at ends of the least one first wing and the least one second wing operable to engage a chassis slot; a plastic carrier having an opening for inserting the base plate; and a pair of discs at an opposite end for snapping into the housing; a pair of opposing carrier walls formed on a top end of the plastic carrier to bend as the first locking tab and the second locking tab slide past the pair of opposing carrier walls; and a pair of opposing locking slots to engage the first locking tab and the second locking tab.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly of claim 13, wherein the pair of opposing carrier walls bend relative to the first leg and second leg and the first locking tab and the second locking tab, such that the first locking tab and the second locking tab slide past the pair of opposing carrier walls to allow the first locking tab and the second locking tab to engage the pair of opposing locking slots.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly of claim 13, wherein the plastic carrier further comprises: a carrier bottom floor to engage the base plate such that when the first locking tab and the second locking tab engage the opposing locking slots, the base plate is in compression with the carrier bottom floor.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly of claim 13 wherein the head portion and the lead in section are operably inserted into the chassis slot such that the first snap knuckle and the second snap knuckle slide through the chassis slot and snap outwardly and the pair of opposing wing tips engage the chassis slot.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly of claim 13 wherein the metal fastener clip is formed by at least one of: stamping, cutting, molding, etching, casting, machining, forming, welding, embossing, punching, heat treating, bonding, electroplating, and pressing.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly of claim 13 further comprising: a sealing flange formed on the plastic carrier at and end opposite from the top end; a seal support disc to support the sealing flange; a base disc operable to releasably detach from a corresponding housing on the body panel; and a post between the base disc and the seal support disc to provide spacing.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly of claim 13, wherein the plastic carrier is made of at least one of: rubber, plastisol, plastic, acetal, polyacetal, polyoxymethylene, nylon, fiberglass and carbon fiber.
The hybrid plastic carrier and metal fastener clip assembly of claim 13, wherein an engagement force is less than an extraction force.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to devices for fastening objects, and more particularly to a fastener clip for insertion into an engagement structure, such as a vehicle chassis, a hollow substrate, a wall, a building structure, a plate or any suitable surface. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A number of devices and fasteners are currently available for fastening panels, automobile interior trim piece panels, and body panels to the chassis of a vehicle. As used herein, a body panel refers to, for example, any interior or exterior body panel on a vehicle, a plastic interior trim piece, headliner or any interior trim piece. Additionally, the panel may be any suitable exterior body panel, such as a fender, bumper, cover piece, quarter panel or door panel. The chassis of the vehicle may include any substrate, plate, body panel, structural framework, chassis component or subcomponent, wall or any suitable structure. These body panels typically are required to attach to the chassis of an automobile with a relatively low level of insertion force while providing a high level of extraction force suitable to maintain attachment of the panel to the chassis. However, these conventional fastener devices instead provide approximately relatively equal levels of insertion and extraction force or high insertion and low retention force. Further, conventional fasteners typically do not adequately secure the panel to the vehicle chassis having sheet metal with different curvature or thicknesses throughout the chassis and fastener. Also, conventional fasteners are not suitable under a variety of environmental conditions, such as in the presence of vibration at various levels of amplitude and frequency. For example, the fastener device should prevent or minimize the amount of buzzing, rattling or any other type of noise that may cause attention to the occupants of the vehicle or otherwise weaken the attachment. Also, conventional fasteners do not adequately accommodate various levels of production tolerances, such as various dimensions amongst, for example, the body panels fasteners as well as the vehicle chassis. Thus, conventional fastener devices typically do not adequately fasten to a range of sheet metal thicknesses and do not minimize or eliminate buzzing and rattling and do not sufficiently accommodate variations in production tolerances. Fastener clips, such as metal spring fasteners, are known for attaching body panels to an automobile chassis. For example, fastener clips are known having a base plate and four stepped arms extending from the base plate. Each stepped arm includes four incremental steps (stair-steps) suitable for engaging a slot in a vehicle chassis with one of the steps on each arm. The incremental steps allow for engagement, however, in only one of the four discrete step positions rather than over a continuous range of engagement positions. Further, each step has a relatively large rise and run so that, once inserted, movement of the fastener clip within the range of a step size may occur, resulting in wear and/or the generation of noise, including buzzing and rattling as a result of vibrations occurring within the vehicle. Also, the steps typically cut onto each arm during manufacture and also require twisting of each wing on the fastener clip in order to engage the slot in the vehicle chassis. As a result, only an edge or a portion of an edge of each of the steps engages the hole in the vehicle slot. If the sheet metal varies in thickness or if tolerances in production of the slot in the vehicle chassis or in the trim-piece vary, for example, then engagement of one portion of the hole in the chassis with one of the arms may not provide suitable frictional engagement or otherwise result in movement. Further, less than all four of the arms will make engagement with the slot of the vehicle chassis. Twisting of the body panel will be likely more prevalent because less than four contact points are actually made with the slot of the vehicle chassis. As a result, wear, squeaks, rattles, buzzing, corrosion and loss of elasticity and loss of sealing may result, especially after years of vehicle operation and exposure to vibration and other environmental conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a fastener clip according to one embodiment;Fig. 2 is an exploded side view of the fastener clip according to another embodiment;Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a body panel assembly according to one embodiment;Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fastener clip according to one embodiment;Fig. 5 is another side view of the fastener clip;Fig. 6 is another side view of the fastener clip shown in Fig. 5 rotated 90 degrees axially;Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a body panel assembly in accordance with another embodiment;Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a body panel assembly in a chassis in accordance with another embodiment;Fig. 9 is a cut away view of a body panel assembly a