AIR BAG ASSEMBLY AND CLIP THEREFOR
First Claim
1. An air bag assembly mounting system comprising:
- a fastener having a base plate with a front side and a rear side, a resilient expansion element along the rear side of the base plate which is configured to extend through an opening in a mounting surface in a vehicle and through a portion of an air bag or an air bag cover, so as to clamp the air bag or cover to the mounting surface between the second or rear side of the base plate and the mounting surface with the expansion element on an opposite side of the mounting surface, the resilient expansion element comprising two opposing resilient clips each having a center or inner leg extending from the back plate and a outer leg resiliently supported by and configured as an extension of the center or inner leg, the outer leg, at a distal end, including an engagement surface adapted to engage an edge of an opening in the mounting surface, each engagement surface of each outer leg configured to move closer to each other during assembly of the fastener to the mounting surface to a reduced dimension enabling insertion of the fastener into the mounting surface opening and to assume a released position wider than the mounting surface opening upon insertion therein;
wherein each outer leg proximate the engagement surface thereof includes a first opening to facilitate insertion of a portion of a removal tool in a direction from exterior of the mounting surface into the mounting surface, the tool adapted to move each outer leg together to a compressed position.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag assembly mounting system comprising: a fastener having a base plate with a front side and a rear side, a resilient expansion element along the rear side of the base plate which is configured to extend through an opening in a structural member of a vehicle so as to clamp the structural member of the vehicle and through a portion of an air bag or an air bag cover between the rear side of the base plate and the expansion element, the resilient expansion element comprising two co-acting resilient clips each having a center leg extending from the back plate and a resilient outer leg resiliently supported by the center leg; the outer leg, at a distal end, including extending wings which during assembly to the structural member rotate and over-travel the center leg to reduce the dimension between the wings of one of the outer legs and the wings of the other of the outer legs.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. An air bag assembly mounting system comprising:
- a fastener having a base plate with a front side and a rear side, a resilient expansion element along the rear side of the base plate which is configured to extend through an opening in a mounting surface in a vehicle and through a portion of an air bag or an air bag cover, so as to clamp the air bag or cover to the mounting surface between the second or rear side of the base plate and the mounting surface with the expansion element on an opposite side of the mounting surface, the resilient expansion element comprising two opposing resilient clips each having a center or inner leg extending from the back plate and a outer leg resiliently supported by and configured as an extension of the center or inner leg, the outer leg, at a distal end, including an engagement surface adapted to engage an edge of an opening in the mounting surface, each engagement surface of each outer leg configured to move closer to each other during assembly of the fastener to the mounting surface to a reduced dimension enabling insertion of the fastener into the mounting surface opening and to assume a released position wider than the mounting surface opening upon insertion therein;
wherein each outer leg proximate the engagement surface thereof includes a first opening to facilitate insertion of a portion of a removal tool in a direction from exterior of the mounting surface into the mounting surface, the tool adapted to move each outer leg together to a compressed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- a fastener having a base plate with a front side and a rear side, a resilient expansion element along the rear side of the base plate which is configured to extend through an opening in a mounting surface in a vehicle and through a portion of an air bag or an air bag cover, so as to clamp the air bag or cover to the mounting surface between the second or rear side of the base plate and the mounting surface with the expansion element on an opposite side of the mounting surface, the resilient expansion element comprising two opposing resilient clips each having a center or inner leg extending from the back plate and a outer leg resiliently supported by and configured as an extension of the center or inner leg, the outer leg, at a distal end, including an engagement surface adapted to engage an edge of an opening in the mounting surface, each engagement surface of each outer leg configured to move closer to each other during assembly of the fastener to the mounting surface to a reduced dimension enabling insertion of the fastener into the mounting surface opening and to assume a released position wider than the mounting surface opening upon insertion therein;
-
9. A fastener and removal tool for fastening an air bag to a mounting surface and removing the fastener, the mounting surface having a first fastener opening of predetermined dimension and the air bag having a fastener receiving opening, the fastener comprising:
- a base plate with a first front side and a second or rear side, the base plate including a center portion and two opposing lateral sections and located on opposing lateral sides of the center portion along a first or lateral axis, and a resilient expansion element;
the resilient expansion element configured to extend through the fastener receiving opening in a portion of the air bag and also through the opening in the mounting surface, so as to hold the air bag in a desired position clamped between the second or rear side of the base plate and the mounting surface, the resilient expansion element comprising two co-acting resilient clips each clip extending away from the second or rear side of the base plate and arranged along a second axis disposed generally 90 degrees to the first axis, each clip movable between an unstressed position and a compressed position, when in the compressed position each clip is able to fit into the opening on the mounting surface and through the fastener receiving opening of the air bag,each clip having a stop feature relatively movable along a third axis perpendicular to each of the first and second axes between the unstressed position and the compressed position, each clip having a center leg extending from the base plate along the second axis and arranged at a predetermined angle to the second axis, each clip further including an outer leg resiliently supported by its center leg and formed as an extension of the outer leg, the outer leg at an outer region thereof including an engagement surface and a set of opposing bent wings, each wing at a distal end thereof including the stop feature, the resilient expansion element movable into the opening of the mounting surface along the second axis in a first direction, and when the resilient clips are in the unstressed position, the fastener is prevented from moving out of the mounting surface in a direction opposite to the first direction by interaction of the stop feature and the mounting surface, when the fastener is installed the stop feature is oriented generally parallel to the mounting surface, wherein each outer region at a respective engagement surface including a first opening, adapted to receive a portion of a removal tool, such removal tool is received through the first opening to engage the engagement surface. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
- a base plate with a first front side and a second or rear side, the base plate including a center portion and two opposing lateral sections and located on opposing lateral sides of the center portion along a first or lateral axis, and a resilient expansion element;
Specification