Quick-attach automotive antenna mounting assembly
First Claim
1. A quick-attachment mounting mechanism for use in securing an antenna unit to a panel, comprising:
- a base, fixable to a lower surface of the antenna unit and having a stud extending therefrom;
said stud having a tapered body section;
a retaining cap disposed on said stud for axial movement relative thereto;
said retaining cap comprising a plurality of retaining fingers in contact with the tapered body section of said stud, wherein upon axial movement of said retaining cap toward said base the retaining fingers expand radially outward, and further comprising a snap collar disposed about said stud, said snap collar having at least one resilient leg positioned adjacent said base.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An attachment assembly, useful in quickly attaching an object to a panel, is provided with a base assembly having a shaft member extending therefrom and an expandable member having a plurality of fingers disposed on one side of the panel such that, during installation, the fingers radially outwardly expand to clamp the object to the panel. A process of mounting an object to a panel is also provided. The object is attached to the base of the attachment assembly and the shaft member is positioned in an aperture in a panel. The panel is clamped between the fingers and the base upon installation of the attachment assembly.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A quick-attachment mounting mechanism for use in securing an antenna unit to a panel, comprising:
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a base, fixable to a lower surface of the antenna unit and having a stud extending therefrom;
said stud having a tapered body section;
a retaining cap disposed on said stud for axial movement relative thereto;
said retaining cap comprising a plurality of retaining fingers in contact with the tapered body section of said stud, wherein upon axial movement of said retaining cap toward said base the retaining fingers expand radially outward, and further comprising a snap collar disposed about said stud, said snap collar having at least one resilient leg positioned adjacent said base. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A quick-attachment mounting mechanism for use in securing an antenna unit to a panel, comprising:
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a base, fixable to a lower surface of the antenna unit and having a stud extending therefrom;
said stud having a tapered body section;
a retaining cap disposed on said stud for axial movement relative thereto;
said retaining cap comprising a plurality of retaining fingers in contact with the tapered body section of said stud, wherein upon axial movement of said retaining cap toward said base the retaining fingers expand radially outward, and further comprising a spacer member disposed about said stud between said retaining cap and said base and sized to prevent entry of said retaining fingers of said retaining cap into an aperture in the panel. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A quick-attachment mounting mechanism for use in securing an antenna unit to a panel, comprising:
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a base, fixable to a lower surface of the antenna unit and having a stud extending therefrom;
said stud having a tapered body section;
a retaining cap disposed on said stud for axial movement relative thereto;
said retaining cap comprising a plurality of retaining fingers in contact with the tapered body section of said stud, wherein upon axial movement of said retaining cap toward said base the retaining fingers expand radially outward, and wherein said stud is provided with a longitudinal notch aligned with a through hole in the base. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A quick-attaching object for attachment to a vehicle through an aperture in an exterior panel of the vehicle, comprising:
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an object to be attached to the exterior panel of the vehicle, the object including a lower surface disposed to be supported on the exterior surface of the exterior panel; and
an attachment assembly attached to the lower surface of the object, comprising;
a base assembly fixed to the object, the base assembly including a shaft member extending therefrom; and
a retaining mechanism insertable through the aperture in the panel, the retaining mechanism comprising;
an expandable member comprising a plurality of resilient, outwardly expandable fingers compressible to pass through the aperture in the panel, a retaining member disposed on the shaft member to bias the expandable member toward the panel, and a spacer member disposed on the shaft member to space the expandable member a selected distance from the object, wherein the expandable member comprises an annular portion, with the fingers upstanding from the annular portion, and wherein the shaft member comprises a stud having a tapered body section, the fingers in contact with the tapered body section. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A quick-attachment mechanism adapted to secure an antenna unit to a panel, comprising:
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a base, adapted to be fixed to a lower surface of the antenna unit and having a stud extending therefrom, wherein the stud has a tapered body section;
a retaining cap disposed on the stud and adapted to move axially relative to the stud, the retaining cap including a plurality of retaining fingers in contact with the tapered body section of the stud, wherein upon axial movement of the retaining cap toward the base, the retaining fingers move along the tapered body section and cooperate therewith, whereby the tapered body section causes the retaining fingers to expand radially outward; and
means for effecting axial movement of the retaining cap, comprising a threaded member attached to the stud and a nut, wherein upon application of torque to the nut, the retaining cap moves toward the base. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification