Connection assemblies in a vehicle

• US 10,486,619 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Li, Tina, Gao, Yong, Ge, Hallie
• Primary Examiner(s): Marsh, Steven M
• Application Number:
  US15/633,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20180370456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 439153, 439160, 439347, 439557, 24822021, 24822341, 24822451, 24822461, 2482248, 24822511, 2482247
• 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 13/0243 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 17/008 of sheets or plates mutually joining sheets by riveting without the use of separate rivets F16B5/045
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/09 Releasable fastening devices with a stud engaging a keyhole slot
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0685 Joining sheets or plates to strips or bars F16B5/0692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/121 fastened over the edge(s) of the sheet(s) or plate(s)
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/126 at least one of the sheets, plates, bars or strips having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features

Abstract

A connection assembly in a vehicle comprises a bracket including a sliding groove; and a connector including a base plate configured to be received in the sliding groove of the bracket. The base plate or an inner wall of the sliding groove has a raised portion and a through hole on the raised portion. At a locked position, the base plate is at least partially received in the sliding groove and contacts the inner wall of the sliding groove under a pressure via the raised portion.

Claims

1. A connection assembly in a vehicle, comprising:

a bracket including a sliding groove, wherein the sliding groove is formed on an edge of the bracket and has an inner wall facing an opening of the sliding groove; and

a connector including a base plate;

wherein the base plate includes a raised portion extending from an edge at a widthwise direction of a main surface of the base plate or the inner wall of the sliding groove includes a raised portion raised toward the base plate, wherein the raised portion includes a first through hole and wherein at a locked position, the base plate is at least partially received in the sliding groove and the raised portion contacts the inner wall of the sliding groove under a pressure.

2. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the raised portion is integrally formed with the inner wall of the sliding groove or the base plate of the connector.

3. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector includes a hook and the bracket includes a clip or a slot capable of being engaged with and released from the hook.

4. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the base plate includes the raised portion and further includes at least one second through hole at a middle portion of the base plate.

5. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector is a wiring holder in the vehicle.

6. The connection assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector is a trim panel on a vehicle door.

7. A connection assembly in a vehicle, comprising:

a bracket, wherein the bracket includes a main surface and at least one sliding groove positioned on an edge of the main surface along a lengthwise direction, the sliding groove has an inner wall facing an opening of the sliding groove, and the bracket is mounted on the vehicle;

a connector, wherein the connector includes a base plate having a main surface, at least one raised portion extending from an edge of the main surface of the base plate at a widthwise direction of the base plate and raised toward the inner wall of the sliding groove, and a first through hole on the raised portion;

wherein at least a portion of the base plate is received in the sliding groove, and the raised portion of the base plate contacts the inner wall of the sliding groove under a pressure at a locked position and wherein the first through hole renders elasticity to the base plate and facilitate deformation of the raised portion during an assembling process.

8. The connection assembly of claim 7, wherein the base plate includes two raised portions along the lengthwise direction, and two first through holes are disposed on the raised portions.

9. The connection assembly of claim 8, further includes a second through hole positioned in a middle portion of the base plate to further increase elasticity of the base plate.

10. The connection assembly of claim 7, wherein the connector includes a hook and the main surface of the bracket includes a clip and the hook engages with the clip at the locked position.

11. The connection assembly of claim 7, wherein the base plate includes a projection protruded from a bottom surface at a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface and positioned at a middle portion of the base plate, and the bracket includes a recess concaved from the main surface, and wherein the projection is received in the recess to prevent further movement at the locked position.

12. The connection assembly of claim 7, wherein the bracket includes two sliding grooves, and both edges of the base plate include the raised portions, and wherein the raised portions contact the inner walls of the two sliding grooves, respectively at the locked position.

13. The connection assembly of claim 7, wherein the connector is a wiring holder in the vehicle and further includes a wiring grasp member disposed above the base plate and configured to hold a wiring.