Work vehicle upholstery mounting system

• US 10,328,870 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Boyce, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morris, Taylor L
• Application Number:
  US15/219,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20180022295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 248 71, 248 73, 24822211, 296 108, 296 391, 296 392, 29690101, 2972181, 2972182, 2972183, 2972184, 29722813, 29745259, 292227, 411 45, 411508, 24297, 24298, 24458, 24295
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/38 specially constructed for use on tractors or like off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/72 Attachment or adjustment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0206 Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings devices for fastening or securing F16B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0212 Roof or head liners movable head-liners B60J7/0007
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0237 Side or rear panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0664 at least one of the sheets or plates having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features

Abstract

An upholstery mounting system includes a support structure and a covering member. The system also includes a bracket that is fixed to the support structure. The bracket is flexible to move between a first position and a second position relative to the support structure. Also, the upholstery mounting system includes a boss that is fixed to the covering member. The boss, in a detached position is outside an opening of the bracket. The boss, in an attached position, is received in the opening and is removably attached to the bracket to attach the covering member to the support structure with the covering member extending over and covering at least part of the support structure. The boss is configured to flex the bracket between the first position and the second position as the boss moves from the detached position to the attached position.

Claims

1. An upholstery mounting system, comprising:

a support structure;

a covering member;

a bracket that is fixed to the support structure, the bracket including surfaces defining a first portion and a second portion extending perpendicularly relative to the first portion, when in a first position, the first portion and the second portion both together in part defining a channel and both together defining a bounded opening that extends through the surfaces from the channel and has an inner edge defined by the first portion and the second portion such that the inner edge of the opening, and thereby the opening, includes portions that extend perpendicularly relative to one another in the first position, the bracket being flexible to move the first portion of the bracket relative to the second portion of the bracket between the first position and a second position relative to the support structure; and

a boss that is fixed to the covering member, the boss having a first face and a second face that opposes the first face and having a detached position and an attached position relative to the bracket;

wherein the boss, in the detached position, is outside the opening;

wherein the boss, in the attached position, is received in the channel and the opening and removably attached to the bracket to attach the covering member to the support structure with the covering member extending over and covering at least part of the support structure;

wherein the boss, in the attached position, is received in the channel and the opening with the first face abutting the first portion of the bracket at the inner edge of the opening and the second face abutting the second portion of the bracket at the inner edge of the opening to retain the boss in the attached position relative to the bracket; and

wherein the boss is configured to flex the bracket between the first position and the second position as the boss moves from the detached position to the attached position.

2. The upholstery mounting system of claim 1, wherein the boss is integrally attached to the covering member such that the covering member and the boss are unitary.

3. The upholstery mounting system of claim 1, wherein the covering member includes a front surface, a back surface that opposes the front surface, and a perimeter edge;

and

wherein the boss projects from the back surface of the covering member, spaced inward from the perimeter edge at a distance.

4. The upholstery mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first portion extends away from the support structure and the second portion is spaced away from the support structure.

5. The upholstery mounting system of claim 4, wherein the bracket has a substantially U-shaped cross section, the U-shaped cross section defined by the first portion, the second portion, and a mount portion of the bracket;

and

wherein the mount portion is fixed to the support structure.

6. The upholstery mounting system of claim 4, wherein the bracket has a substantially constant thickness through both the first portion and the second portion.

7. The upholstery mounting system of claim 4, wherein the bracket has a flexure axis about which the second portion is configured to rotate relative to the first portion when the second portion flexes between the first position and the second position.

8. The upholstery assembly of claim 1, wherein the first face includes a recess;

and

wherein the boss, in the attached position, is received in the opening of the bracket with the first portion of the bracket, at least in part, received within the recess.

9. The upholstery mounting system of claim 8, wherein the second face includes a retaining surface;

and

wherein the boss, in the attached position, is received in the opening of the bracket with the retaining surface abutting an edge of the opening to retain the second portion of the bracket within the recess.

10. The upholstery mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first face includes a first lead-in surface and the second face includes a second lead-in surface;

wherein the boss is movable to an abutting position relative to the bracket and the boss is configured to be in the abutting position as the boss moves from the detached position to the attached position; and

wherein the boss, in the abutting position, is configured such that the first lead-in surface pushes against the first portion of the bracket and the second lead-in surface pushes against the second portion of the bracket to allow passage of the boss to the attached position.

11. The upholstery mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first face and the second face are disposed at an acute angle relative to each other.

12. The upholstery mounting system of claim 1, wherein the bracket is welded to the support structure.

13. An upholstery mounting system, comprising:

a support structure;

a covering member;

a bracket that is fixed to the support structure, the bracket including surfaces defining a first portion and a second portion both together in part defining a channel and both together defining an opening that extends through the surfaces from the channel, the bracket being flexible to move between a first position and a second position relative to the support structure; and

a boss that is fixed to the covering member, the boss having a first face and a second face that opposes the first face and having a detached position and an attached position relative to the bracket;

wherein the boss, in the detached position, is outside the opening;

wherein the boss, in the attached position, is received in the channel and the opening and removably attached to the bracket to attach the covering member to the support structure with the covering member extending over and covering at least part of the support structure;

wherein the boss, in the attached position, is received in the channel and the opening with the first face abutting the first portion of the bracket at the opening and the second face abutting the second portion of the bracket at the opening to retain the boss in the attached position relative to the bracket;

wherein the boss is configured to flex the bracket between the first position and the second position as the boss moves from the detached position to the attached position;

wherein the bracket defines a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis that are orthogonal to each other;

wherein the boss is configured to move substantially along the first axis when moving between the detached position and the attached position;

wherein the first portion of the bracket extends from the support structure substantially along the second axis;

wherein the second portion of the bracket extends from the first portion substantially along the first axis;

wherein the opening has a first length measured along the third axis;

wherein the boss has a second length measured along the third axis; and

wherein the first length is greater than the second length.

14. An upholstery mounting system, comprising:

a support structure;

a covering member;

a bracket that is fixed to the support structure, the bracket including surfaces defining a first portion and a second portion extending perpendicularly relative to the first portion, when in a first position, the first portion and the second portion both together in part defining a channel and both together defining a bounded opening that extends through the surfaces from the channel and has an inner edge defined by the first portion and the second portion such that the inner edge of the opening, and thereby the opening, includes portions that extend perpendicularly relative to one another in the first position, the bracket being flexible to move the first portion of the bracket relative to the second portion of the bracket between the first position and a second position relative to the support structure; and

a boss that is fixed to the covering member, the boss having a first face and a second face that opposes the first face, the boss having a detached position and an attached position relative to the bracket;

wherein the boss, in the detached position, is outside the opening and spaced apart from the bracket;

wherein the boss, in the attached position, is received in the channel and the opening and removably attached to the bracket to attach the covering member to the support structure with the covering member extending over and covering at least part of the support structure; and

wherein the first face abuts the first portion of the bracket at the inner edge of the opening and the second face abuts the second portion of the bracket at the inner edge of the opening and resiliently flexes the first portion relative to the second portion as the boss moves from the detached position to the attached position.

15. The upholstery mounting system of claim 14, wherein the first face of the boss includes a recess with an internal surface;

and

wherein the first portion of the bracket, at least in part, is received within the recess and abuts the internal surface of the recess when the boss is in the attached position.

16. The upholstery mounting system of claim 15, wherein second face of the boss includes a planar retaining surface;

and

wherein the second portion of the bracket includes an inner edge of the opening that abuts against the planar retaining surface when the boss is in the attached position.

17. The upholstery mounting system of claim 16, wherein the first face of the boss includes an inside lead-in surface and the second face of the boss includes an outside lead-in surface;

and

wherein the inside lead-in surface abuts the second portion of the bracket and the outside lead-in surface abuts the first portion of the bracket to flex open the bracket while the boss moves from the detached position to the attached position.

18. The upholstery mounting system of claim 14, wherein the first portion extends away from the support structure and the second portion is spaced away from the support structure;

and wherein the bracket has a flexure axis about which the second portion is configured to rotate relative to the first portion as the boss moves from the detached position to the attached position.

19. The upholstery mounting system of claim 14, wherein the bracket is integrally attached to the support structure so as to be unitary;

and

wherein the boss is integrally attached to the covering member so as to be unitary.