Air Bag Fastener Assembly

• US 20100066061A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lerch, Thomas J., Lord, Robert E. JR., Giddings, Joshua J., Slobodecki, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,871,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/02 Releasable fastening devices locking by rotation with snap-action F16B21/06; studs or coupling pins with resilient protrusions F16B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4578 Cavity or projection rotates about axis of cavity to dissociate

Abstract

A fastener assembly includes a metal first component having two flange portions defining a receiving slot therebetween, and a polymeric component received in the receiving slot in an assembled position. When rotated 90 degrees the second component outwardly displaces first and second deflectable wings of the first component to extended positions.

Claims

1. A fastener assembly, comprising:

a first component having opposed first and second legs defining a cavity therebetween, and first and second deflectable wings each homogenously connected to and freely extending from one of the first and second legs, the first deflectable wing extending oppositely with respect to the second deflectable wing;

a second component having;

an engagement member adapted to be slidably received in the cavity of the first component; and

a mounting flange having the engagement member homogenously connected thereto, the mounting flange extending substantially transverse to the engagement member; and

an assembled position of the first and second components having the engagement member slidably disposed within the cavity, and an extended position of the first and second components having the second component rotated approximately 90 degrees from the assembled position wherein the engagement member displaces both the first and second deflectable wings away from each other.

2. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein the first component further includes co-planar first and second flange portions each homogenously connected to one of the first and second legs and both oriented substantially transverse to the first and second legs.

3. The fastener assembly of claim 2, wherein the first and second flange portions are separated from each other defining an engagement member receiving slot therebetween, and wherein each of the first and second flange portions include an arc-shaped slot opening into the engagement member receiving slot.

4. The fastener assembly of claim 3, further comprising first and second pins extending between the mounting flange and the engagement member, the first and second pins each received in one the first and second arc-shaped slots during rotation of the second component, wherein contact between the first and second pins with a wall of the first and second arc-shaped slots operates to maintain a substantially circular rotation of the second component.

5. The fastener assembly of claim 2, further including first and second raised detents each created on one of the first and second flange portions, the first and second raised detents operating to contact a perimeter wall of the mounting flange to resist withdrawal of the second component from the first component when in the assembled position.

6. The fastener assembly of claim 1, further including a drive member homogenously connected to the mounting flange, the drive member and the engagement member extending from opposite sides of the mounting flange.

7. The fastener assembly of claim 6, wherein the drive member includes a plurality of tool engagement faces adapted for releasable engagement by a drive tool to rotate the second component with respect to the first component.

8. The fastener assembly of claim 1, wherein the first component includes co-planar first and second flange portions each homogenously connected to one of the first and second legs and both oriented substantially transverse to the first and second legs, and separated from each other defining an engagement member receiving slot therebetween.

9. The fastener assembly of claim 8, further including a neck region connecting the mounting flange to the engagement member, the neck region being narrower than the engagement member and adapted to slidably engage opposing edges of the first and second flange portions when the neck region is received in the engagement member receiving slot.

10. A fastener assembly, comprising:

a metal first component having two homogenously connected flange portions separated from each other defining an engagement member receiving slot therebetween, the flange portions each having one of a first and a second leg separated from each other defining a cavity therebetween, a first arm oriented transverse to the first leg and having a first deflectable wing extending freely from the first arm, and a second arm oriented transverse to the second leg and having a second deflectable wing extending freely from the second arm;

a polymeric second component having;

an engagement member adapted to be received in the cavity of the first component without contacting the first or second deflectable wings defining an assembled position of the first and second components; and

a mounting flange having the engagement member homogenously connected thereto, the mounting flange extending substantially transverse to the engagement member and parallel to the first and second legs; and

an extended position of the first and second components having the second component rotated approximately 90 degrees from the assembled position, the engagement member operating in the extended position to displace both the first and second deflectable wings away from each other.

11. The fastener assembly of claim 10, wherein the first component includes a support wall connected to and oriented transverse to the flange portions, the first arm homogenously connected to the support wall.

12. The fastener assembly of claim 11, further including a fixed arm extending transversely from a first one of the flange portions and substantially parallel to the support wall, the second arm homogenously connected to the fixed arm.

13. The fastener assembly of claim 11, further including a tab extending outwardly from the support wall having a tab surface oriented facing a contact face of the flange portions.

14. The fastener assembly of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second arms includes an elongated slot adapted to control a biasing force created by bending each of the first and second arms.

15. The fastener assembly of claim 10, wherein the second component further includes a neck region connecting the mounting flange to the engagement member, the neck region being narrower than the engagement member and adapted to slidably engage opposing edges of the flange portions when the neck region is received in the engagement member receiving slot.

16. A fastener assembly adapted to connect an air bag to a vehicle panel, comprising:

a first component having a support wall connected to first and second coplanar flange portions, a fixed arm extending parallel to the support wall from one of the flange portions, opposed first and second legs defining a cavity therebetween, the first leg connected to the support wall and the second leg connected to the fixed arm, and first and second deflectable wings each homogenously connected to and freely extending from one of the first and second legs;

a second component having;

an engagement member adapted to be slidably received in the cavity of the first component; and

a mounting flange having the engagement member homogenously connected thereto, the mounting flange extending substantially transverse to the engagement member;

wherein the support wall, the fixed arm, the first and second legs, and the first and second deflectable wings define an insertion portion adapted to be slidably received in both an aperture of an air bag and an aperture of a vehicle panel.

17. The fastener assembly of claim 16, comprising at least one raised detent created on one of the first and second flange portions wherein the engagement member slidably disposed within the cavity without contact between the engagement member and the first and second deflectable wings and the mounting flange in contact with the at least one raised detent define an assembled position of the first and second components.

18. The fastener assembly of claim 17, further comprising first and second opposed engagement walls of the engagement portion, wherein in an extended position of the first and second components the second component is rotated approximately 90 degrees from the assembled position such that the first and second engagement walls of the engagement member each displace one of the first and second deflectable wings in directions opposite to each other and extending beyond the aperture and over the body panel, the first and second deflectable wings thereafter precluding withdrawal of the insertion portion from the aperture of the vehicle panel.

19. The fastener assembly of claim 17, wherein the at least one raised detent comprises first and second raised detents each created on one of the first and second flange portions, the first and second raised detents both contacting a perimeter wall of the mounting flange operate to resist removal of the second component from the first component.

20. The fastener assembly of claim 16, further including a tab extending outwardly from the support wall having a tab surface oriented facing a contact face of the first and second flange portions, wherein the insertion portion is inserted into the aperture of the air bag and the air bag is positioned between the tab surface and the contact face of the first and second flange portions in a temporary assembly.

21. The fastener assembly of claim 16, wherein the first and second flange portions are separated from each other defining an engagement member receiving slot therebetween, and wherein each of the first and second flange portions include an arc-shaped slot opening into the engagement member receiving slot.

22. The fastener assembly of claim 21, further comprising first and second pins extending between the mounting flange and the engagement member, the first and second pins each received in one the first and second arc-shaped slots during rotation of the second component, wherein contact between the first and second pins with a wall of the first and second arc-shaped slots operates to maintain a substantially circular rotation of the second component.

23. The fastener assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

an engagement member receiving slot defined between the first and second flange portions;

first and second flange ports created through the mounting flange; and

a clip member having an arrow-shaped deflectable member, the arrow-shaped deflectable member received in one of the first and second flange ports when co-aligned with a portion of the engagement member receiving slot, the clip member operable to visually indicate a completed assembly of the fastener assembly to the air bag and the vehicle panel.