Two-piece vehicle floor cover retention device

• US 8,991,006 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MacNeil IP LLC
• Original Assignee: MacNeil IP LLC
• Inventors: Masanek, Frederick W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vonch, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US13/457,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20130287996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 296/97.23, 16/21, 16/4, 16/6, 16/8
• US Class Current: 16/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/044 of removable mats B60N3/046, B60N3/048 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/046 characterised by the fixing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/048 characterised by their structure
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/20 Clips, i.e. with gripping action effected solely by the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/509 clamped
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0692 joining flexible sheets to other sheets or plates or to strips or bars tent fastenings E04H15/64; coping elements for swimming pools with fixing means for sealing foil E04H4/142; greenhouses of flexible synthetic material A01G9/1407; end or aperture-closing arrangements or devices for sacks or bags B65D33/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44026 for cooperating with aperture in supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44034 Dissociable gripping members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45984 Cavity having specific shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4599 including closed elongated access opening for guiding transverse projection travel after insertion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24174 including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24182 Inward from edge of web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24289 Embedded or interlocked
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24298 Noncircular aperture [e.g., slit, diamond, rectangular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24587 Oblique to longitudinal axis of web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24661 : Forming, or cooperating to form cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24669 : Aligned or parallel nonplanarities

Abstract

In a grommet for a vehicle floor cover, receptacles formed in a generally cylindrical inner surface of a female tubular body making up part of one grommet portion receive protrusions formed on a generally cylindrical outer surface of a male tubular body making up part of a second grommet portion. The bottom grommet portion may have chamfered gussets formed adjacent a bottom retention flange in order to accommodate vehicle floor mats or trays of different thicknesses. Stud holes created in respective ones of the grommets receive studs of intentionally different shape or orientation, thereby militating against installation of the floor cover upside down.

Claims

1. A grommet for use in cladding one of a plurality of stud retention holes made in respective vehicle foot well covers having different thicknesses, the grommet comprising:

a top grommet portion having a top male tubular body formed around an axis and having an outer surface, a top floor cover retention flange extending radially outwardly from the outer surface of the top tubular body;

a bottom grommet portion having a bottom female tubular body formed around the axis and having an inner surface and an outer surface, a bottom floor cover retention flange extending radially outwardly from the outer surface of the bottom tubular body, the top tubular body sized to be received into the bottom tubular body;

an inner surface of the female tubular body being generally cylindrical and having a length, at least one receptacle formed in the inner surface of the female tubular body to extend radially outwardly therefrom, the receptacle disposed adjacent to an upper axial end of the female tubular body, the receptacle having an axial depth as measured from the upper axial end;

at least one protrusion radially outwardly extending from the outer surface of the male tubular body and adapted to be received in said receptacle of the female tubular body, the protrusion of the male tubular body cooperating with the receptacle of the female tubular body to prevent rotation of the male tubular body relative to the female tubular body around the axis, the axial depth of the receptacle being less than the length of the inner surface of the female tubular body, thereby preventing the assembly of the female tubular body in an upside down condition relative to the male tubular body;

a generally cylindrical outer surface of the female tubular body, an orienting feature projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the female tubular body, the orienting feature being in angular alignment with said at least one receptacle; and

a plurality of angularly spaced-apart chamfered gussets each formed to join the outer surface of the bottom tubular body to the lower floor cover retention flange, a right cross sectional area of each gusset increasing as a function of its axial proximity to the lower floor cover retention flange.

2. The grommet of claim 1, wherein each gusset further comprises a peak adjoining the outer surface of the bottom tubular body, a bottom end adjoining the lower floor cover retention flange and a stop surface extending between the peak and the last said bottom end, the stop surface being linear.

3. The grommet of claim 1, wherein a second receptacle is formed in the inner surface of the female tubular body to extend radially outwardly therefrom, the second receptacle disposed adjacent to an upper axial end of the female tubular body and angulary displaced from a first receptacle, the second receptacle having an axial depth as measured from the upper axial end;

a second protrusion radially outwardly extending from the outer surface of the male tubular body, angularly displaced from a first protrusion and adapted to be received in one of the receptacles of the female tubular body, the second protrusion of the male tubular body cooperating with one of the receptacles of the female tubular body to prevent rotation of the male tubular body relative to the female tubular body around the axis, the axial depth of the second receptacle being less than the length of the inner surface of the female tubular body, thereby preventing the assembly of the female tubular body in an upside down condition relative to the male tubular body; and

a second orienting feature projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the female tubular body, the second orienting feature being in angular alignment with the second receptacle.