Releasable fastener for air bag deployment cover
First Claim
1. In combination:
- a vehicle panel having an opening through which an air bag inflates;
a cover panel for closing the opening and mounted for movement away from the vehicle panel to permit inflation of the air bag through the opening;
a fastener clip adapted for mounting on one of the panels and having an intergrally formed extruded boss therethrough defining an outer surface of a tubular boss which extends on an axis generally parallel with the panel and normal to the direction of opening movement of the cover panel; and
the other panel having a pair of opposing flex fingers which reach part way around the tubular boss and grip the outer surface of the tubular boss to retain the cover panel in the normal closed position, and said flex fingers flexing away from one another to release from the outer surface of the tubular boss upon opening movement of the cover panel.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to the invention, the vehicle panel has an opening through which an air bag inflates, and a over panel for closing the opening. The cover panel is mounted for movement away from the vehicle panel to permit inflation of the air bag through the opening. A fastener clip is mounted on one of the panels and has an integrally formed extruded boss therethrough which defines a tubular boss extending on an axis normal to the direction of opening movement of the cover panel. The other panel, preferably of molded plastic, has a pair of opposing flex fingers which reach part way around the and grip the outer surface of the tubular boss to thereby retain the fastener clip to the one panel. A screw is installed through the other panel and through the tubular boss to thereby secure the cover panel on the vehicle panel. The flex fingers flex away from one another to release from the outer surface upon opening movement of the cover panel.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. In combination:
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a vehicle panel having an opening through which an air bag inflates; a cover panel for closing the opening and mounted for movement away from the vehicle panel to permit inflation of the air bag through the opening; a fastener clip adapted for mounting on one of the panels and having an intergrally formed extruded boss therethrough defining an outer surface of a tubular boss which extends on an axis generally parallel with the panel and normal to the direction of opening movement of the cover panel; and the other panel having a pair of opposing flex fingers which reach part way around the tubular boss and grip the outer surface of the tubular boss to retain the cover panel in the normal closed position, and said flex fingers flexing away from one another to release from the outer surface of the tubular boss upon opening movement of the cover panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification