Spring secured mounting system

• US 10,434,946 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Busscher, Bradley L., Kuester, Ulrich A., Hallack, Jason D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanterpool, Lester L
• Application Number:
  US14/620,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20150224928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 224482
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/22 of resilient material, e.g. rubbery material F16B2/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/073 the socket having a resilient part on its inside

Abstract

A spring clip for a vehicle for mounting a rearview device is disclosed. The spring clip comprises a base portion comprising a coupling surface, configured to interconnect the rearview device with the windshield, and a plurality of spring biased legs. Each of the spring biased legs forms an engagement profile having a continuous rounded profile and an internal engagement surface. The internal engagement surface forms a triangular assembly profile. The engagement profile is configured to slidably engage an interface profile of a bracket configured to interconnect the rearview device to the windshield.

Claims

1. A rearview device mounting assembly configured for use with a vehicle, comprising:

a spring clip comprising;

a plurality of spring biased legs, each leg forming an engagement profile configured to couple to a subassembly comprising a rearview device, wherein the engagement profile forms a continuous rounded profile; and

a bracket comprising;

an engagement surface to couple to a windshield or indirectly through one or more intermediate components coupled to the windshield; and

a plurality of lobes extending outward from an engagement wall, each of the plurality of lobes corresponding to each of the plurality of spring biased legs and forming an interface profile configured to complement the engagement profile; and

wherein the spring clip is configured to engage the bracket in a first assembly profile and rotationally engage the bracket in a second assembly profile to operably couple the spring clip to the bracket and the engagement profile is configured to uniformly deflect along the continuous rounded profile due to the rotational engagement.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring clip further comprises a base portion and the continuous rounded profile includes a first curved portion extending outward from the base portion curving toward a direction normal to a surface of the base portion.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the continuous rounded profile further comprises a second curved portion extending back toward a center of the base portion proximate to a distal end of each of the legs.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lobes comprises a plurality of rounded corners.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rounded rib extending from the engagement wall to each of the plurality of lobes.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the continuous rounded profile comprises an arc comprising a continuous radius.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the continuous radius of the continuous rounded profile is configured to maximize a clamping force of each of the plurality of spring biased legs while limiting plastic deformation.

8. The spring clip according to claim 6, wherein the rounded arc comprises a continuous radius configured to prevent yield in each of the plurality of spring biased legs.

9. The spring clip according to claim 6, wherein the rounded arc is configured to deflect uniformly along the continuous rounded profile thereby limiting a plastic deformation of each of the plurality of spring biased legs.

10. A spring clip for a vehicle for mounting a rearview device, the spring clip comprising:

a base portion comprising a coupling surface configured to interconnect the rearview device with the windshield;

a plurality of spring biased legs, each leg forming an engagement profile having a continuous rounded profile and an internal engagement surface, the internal engagement surface forming a triangular assembly profile, wherein the engagement profile is configured to rotationally engage an interface profile of a bracket configured to interconnect the rearview device to a windshield; and

wherein the engagement profile is configured to uniformly deflect along the continuous rounded profile, wherein the rotational engagement of the spring clip with the bracket minimizes a deflection by uniformly deflecting along the continuous rounded profile due to the rotational engagement.

11. The spring clip according to claim 10, wherein the continuous rounded profile comprises a first curved portion and a second curved portion.

12. The spring clip according to claim 11, wherein the first curved portion extends outward in a direction normal to the coupling surface.

13. The spring clip according to claim 12, wherein the second curved portion extends toward a central axis extending from a center of the base portion.

14. The spring clip according to claim 13, wherein a distal end of each of the plurality of legs is equidistant from the central axis.

15. The spring clip according to claim 10, further comprising:

a beveled edge formed in at least one edge of each of the spring biased legs along the engagement profile.

16. The spring clip according to claim 10, wherein the engagement profile is configured to engage the continuous rounded profile to minimize a yield of each of the spring biased legs.

17. The spring clip according to claim 10, wherein the continuous rounded profile comprises a rounded arc.

18. A rearview device mounting assembly configured for use with a vehicle, comprising:

a spring clip comprising;

a plurality of spring biased legs, each leg forming an engagement profile configured to couple to a subassembly comprising a rearview device, wherein the engagement profile forms a continuous rounded profile; and

a bracket comprising;

an engagement surface to couple to a windshield or indirectly through one or more intermediate components coupled to the windshield;

a plurality of lobes extending outward from an engagement wall, each of the plurality of lobes corresponding to each of the plurality of spring biased legs and forming an interface profile configured to complement the engagement profile; and

the spring clip configured to engage the bracket in a first assembly profile and rotationally engage the bracket in a second assembly profile to operably couple the spring clip to the bracket; and

wherein the engagement profile is configured to optimize the deflection of the spring clip in an elastic deformation in response to the spring clip rotationally engaging the bracket.