Fastening clip

Abstract

The present invention provides a mounting clip (100) for installation in an opening of a component. The mounting clip has a clip body (102) comprising a first end (104), a second end (106), and a pair of side walls (108) extending from the first end to the second end and defining an inner cavity (126) of the clip body. Each side wall is provided with a window (110). The mounting clip further includes a pair of retaining sections (112) extending from the side walls at the second end of the clip body. Each retaining section has a projecting section (113) that extends through the window in the respective side wall and is deflectable into the inner cavity of the clip body when the mounting clip is installed through the opening of the component, and an end section (128) that is provided within the inner cavity of the clip body.The retaining clip (100) further comprises a head section (114) located at the first end of the clip body and projecting from the side walls. Each of the pair of side walls has a projection (136) that projects into the inner cavity, the projection maintaining a gap between the end section of the retaining section and the side wall. This gap serves to insert a removal tool between the end section of the retaining section and the side wall in order to deflect the retaining section and remove the retaining clip from the component.

Description

[0001] This invention relates generally to the field of fasteners and, more particularly, to the field of mounting brackets for securing one or more components, such as airbag devices, to an exterior structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting bracket and mounting bracket assembly for securing a side-impact airbag or a curtain-type airbag to a vehicle structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] Airbags are safety devices used in the automotive industry that, in combination with other safety components such as seatbelts, contribute to reducing fatalities in collisions. Vehicle testing and mortality statistics have clearly demonstrated that the use of airbags can significantly improve the safety of motor vehicle occupants and, in combination with other forms of passive safety such as seatbelts, significantly reduces mortality in serious accidents.

[0003] Manufacturers currently produce front airbags designed to protect the driver and / or front passenger in the event of a frontal impact, as well as side airbags installed taking into account their positions behind the pillars and / or on the sides of the vehicle seats, and curtain airbags.

[0004] Curtain-type airbags are typically located near the roof on the sides of the vehicle, for example, above the front and rear doors. Such airbags have very strict requirements in terms of their objectives and the technical challenges they must overcome. Common challenges can include their position in the vehicle and how they are mounted, the required deployment time, and the time the airbag must remain inflated. Other challenges can arise from the fact that there is only a short distance between the body and the occupant and that there is little vehicle material between the occupant and an impacting vehicle. For example, it is critical that airbags deploy in a fraction of a second, exerting enormous tearing force on their mounting components, which then suffer the consequences of this impact.

[0005] Furthermore, it is well known in the industry that installing new or re-installing deployed airbags is a lengthy process involving steps such as (i) dismantling all of the airbag's mounting hardware, (ii) replacing the airbag and installing a new one, and then (iii) reattaching all of its mounting hardware. This process generally requires the installer to at least partially manually assemble the clamp components to the airbag and press the assembly into a vehicle panel or structure to secure or operatively connect the airbag to the vehicle. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] According to the present invention, a mounting bracket is provided for mounting in an opening of a component according to the appended claims.

[0007] According to one aspect, a fastening clip for mounting in an opening of a component is provided, the fastening clip comprising: a clip body having a first end, a second end, and a pair of side walls extending from the first end to the second end and defining an internal cavity of the clip body, each side wall being provided with a window; a pair of retaining portions extending from the side walls at the second end of the clip body, each of the retaining portions comprising: a protruding portion protruding through the window in the respective side wall and deflectable into the internal cavity of the clip body when the fastening clip is mounted through the opening of the component, and an end portion provided within the internal cavity of the clip body and extending toward the first end;and a head portion provided at the first end of the clip body and projecting from the side walls, the head portion having an opening; each of the pair of side walls having a projection projecting into the interior cavity, the projection maintaining a clearance between the end portion of the retaining portion and the side wall to permit a removal tool to be inserted between the end portion of the retaining portion and the side wall to deflect the retaining portion inwardly to remove the fastener clip from the component.

[0008] Accordingly, the protrusion allows for easier and faster removal of the retaining clip from the component opening, as the removal tool can deflect the retaining portion.

[0009] In examples, a distance between the projection and the end portion is less than a distance between the sidewall and the end portion.

[0010] In examples, the projection and the end portion of the retaining portion are configured to guide a removal tool therebetween.

[0011] In examples, the end portion extends substantially parallel to the side wall toward the first end of the bracket body.

[0012] In examples, the end section has a substantially U-shape.

[0013] The mounting bracket may include a combination of any of the features described above.

[0014] In various examples, the mounting bracket may be used to secure an airbag assembly to a mounting panel of a vehicle, as set forth in the Background section.

[0015] According to another aspect, a method for disassembling the fastening clip from an opening in a component is provided, the method comprising: inserting a removal tool having a pair of spaced-apart gripping elements in an insertion direction into the opening in the head portion of the fastening clip; extending the removal tool in an insertion direction within the interior cavity of the clip body, toward the second end of the clip body, such that the paired gripping elements of the removal tool are guided along the pair of side walls and received between the side walls and the end portions; actuating the removal tool to move the gripping elements toward each other, thereby guiding the end portions of the retaining portions toward each other and deflecting the projecting portions into the interior cavity of the clip body;and retracting the removal tool in a removal direction opposite to the insertion direction to remove the retaining clip from the opening of the component; BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a mounting bracket assembly including a mounting bracket and an insert. Fig. Figure 1B illustrates a side profile view of the mounting bracket assembly of Fig. 1A. Fig. 2 illustrates a sectional view of a fastening clip. Fig. Figure 3 illustrates an enlarged sectional view of the fastening clip of Fig. 2. Fig. Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged side view of a mounting bracket inserted into an opening of a component. Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective view showing one end of a mounting bracket. Fig. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a mounting bracket assembly schematically illustrating the insertion of an insert into a mounting bracket in a first configuration. Fig. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a mounting bracket assembly schematically illustrating the insertion of an insert into a mounting bracket in a second configuration. Fig. 6C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a mounting bracket assembly schematically illustrating the insertion of an insert into a mounting bracket in a third configuration. Fig. 6D illustrates a cross-sectional view of a mounting bracket assembly schematically illustrating insertion of an insert into a mounting bracket in a fourth configuration. Fig. Figure 7 illustrates an enlarged sectional view of a mounting bracket assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Certain terms are used in the following description for convenience only and are not limiting. The words "right", "left", "lower", "upper", "front", "rear", "up", "down", and "downward" indicate reference directions in the drawings and refer to the described component when assembled and installed. The words "inner", "inward", "outer", and "outward" refer to directions toward or away from a designated centerline or geometric center of a described element (e.g., central axis), the meaning of each being readily apparent from the context of the description.

[0018] Furthermore, the terms "connected," "attached," "coupled," and "mounted" as used herein are intended to encompass both direct connections between two elements without any other elements intervening, as well as indirect connections between elements with one or more other elements intervening. The terminology includes the words expressly mentioned above, their derivatives, and words of similar import.

[0019] Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, the use of ordinal adjectives such as "first", "second", and "third", etc., merely indicates that reference is made to different instances of the same objects, without implying that the objects so described must be in any particular order, whether temporal, spatial, rank, or otherwise.

[0020] The same reference symbols are used throughout to represent the same features.

[0021] With reference to Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, a fastening clip 100 is shown. The fastening clip 100 includes a clip body 102 having a first end 104, a second end 106, and a pair of side walls 108 extending between the first end 104 and the second end 106. The clip body 102 defines an internal cavity (126, Fig. 2). Each sidewall 108 is provided with a window 110. The fastening clip 100 includes a pair of retaining portions 112 extending from the respective sidewalls 108 at the second end 106 of the clip body 102. Each of the retaining portions 112 includes a protruding portion 113 projecting through the window 110 of the respective sidewall 108. In this example, the pair of sidewalls 108 do not have any slots or openings extending from the window 110 toward the first end 104 of the clip body 102.

[0022] The projecting portion 113 includes a first portion 116 connected to the side wall 108 and further includes an intermediate bend 120 and a second portion 122 extending from the intermediate bend 120 through the window 110 in the inner cavity (126, Fig. 2) of the clip body 102. The second portion 122 is substantially perpendicular to the sidewall 108. The protruding portion 113 has a constant cross-sectional shape in a direction from the first bend 118 to the intermediate bend 120. This means that there is no slot or opening in the protruding portion 113. The retaining portion 112 includes a slot 124 at the first bend 118. The slots 124 can be sized to limit and define the elastic compliance of the retaining portions 112.

[0023] The first end 104 of the clip body 102 is provided with a head portion 114 that protrudes from the side walls 108. Specifically, the head portion 114 extends outwardly from both side walls 108 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the side walls 108, and both sides of the head portion 114 each include a rounded edge 134 that meet at an end portion 132. The head portion 114 has an opening 125, which in this example has a rectangular shape.

[0024] The mounting bracket 100 is part of a mounting bracket assembly 200 that includes an insert 202 that is inserted into the mounting bracket 100 through the opening 125 in the head portion 114.

[0025] The insert 202 includes legs 210 that extend through the opening 125 of the mounting bracket 100 and into the interior cavity 126 of the bracket body 102. The insert 202 further includes arms 214 that engage the surface of the head portion 114 when the insert 202 is inserted into the mounting bracket 100. The arms 214 meet and terminate at a base 212.

[0026] Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 depicts a sectional view of the fastening clip 100, more clearly illustrating the retaining portions 112 and the projecting portions 113 of the retaining portions 112. The projecting portions 113 project through the respective windows 110. In particular, the second portion 122 of each projecting portion 113 extends from the intermediate bend 120 through the window 110 into the interior cavity 126 of the clip body 102 and defines an end portion 128. The end portion 128 is substantially parallel to the sidewall 108.

[0027] How best to Fig. 3, the end portion 128 is connected to the second portion 122 by a second bend 138 in the form of a U-shaped bend. The side walls 108 in this example include a projection 136 that projects inwardly into the inner cavity 126. The projections 136 maintain a spacing between the end portion 128 of the projecting portions 113 and the side walls 108 of the staple body 102. The end portion 128 of each of the projecting portions 113 extends within the inner cavity 126 of the staple body 102 toward the first end 104 of the staple body 102.

[0028] The end portion 128 has a height H that extends beyond the window 110. The height H of the end portion 128 may be a portion of the end portion 128 that extends beyond the window 110 and overlaps the sidewall 108 of the clip body 102. The height H of the end portion 128 may be the distance from the second bend 138 to the greatest extent of the end portion 128. In this example, at least 40% of the height H of the end portion 128 extends beyond the window 110 and overlaps the sidewall 108 of the staple body 102. However, it is contemplated that in other examples, this may be a different percentage, for example, at least 50% or 60% of the height H of the end portion 128 extends beyond the window 110 and overlaps the sidewall 108 of the staple body 102.

[0029] During use, the fastening clamp 100 is pushed through an opening (52, Fig. 4) a component (50, Fig. 4), thereby deflecting the protruding portions 113 into the inner cavity 126 of the clip body 102. When the fastening clip 100 is inserted through the component 50, the protruding portions 113 spring outward from the inner cavity 126 and through the respective windows 110 to their original position, preventing the fastening clip 100 from being removed from the component 50.

[0030] Fig. 4 illustrates a fastening clip 100 after insertion through the component 50 and after the protruding portions 113 have rebounded from the internal cavity 126 to their original position. A surface of the second portion 122 of the protruding portion 113 engages the component 50. The fastening clip 100 described above with reference to Fig. The projections 136 described in Figure 3 may be provided to maintain a spacing between the end portion 128 of the retaining portion 112 and the sidewall 108 of the clip body 102 so that a removal tool can be inserted between the end portion 128 and the sidewall 108 to deflect the retaining portion 112 inwardly to remove the clip body fastening clip 100 from the component 50. The removal tool may be inserted through the opening 125 and may comprise needle-nose pliers or a specialty tool with opposed arms that are inserted between the end portions 128 and the sidewalls 108 to move the end portions 128 inwardly, thus enabling removal of the fastening clip 100 from the component 50.

[0031] Fig. Figure 5 illustrates an alternative arrangement of a fastening clip 100, wherein the first portion 116 connected to the side wall 108 has a rounded shape. The first bend 118 has a rounded shape compared to the Fig. 4 has a larger bending radius.

[0032] Fig. 6A depicts a mounting bracket assembly 200 illustrating an assembly verification process. The mounting bracket assembly 200 includes a mounting bracket 100 and an insert 202.

[0033] The insert 202 includes a pair of verification elements 204a, 204b, which may be legs of the insert 202. The verification elements 204a, 204b are retained in the component 50 by the side walls 108 within the internal cavity 126 of the clamp body 102, both in a pre-assembled configuration and in an assembled configuration of the mounting clamp 100.

[0034] As in Fig. 6A, the insert 202 and the verification elements 204a, 204b are inserted into the inner cavity 126 of the mounting bracket 100.

[0035] In the Fig. In the configuration illustrated in Figure 6B, the verification elements 204a, 204b open outward toward the side walls 108 and engage a stop 142 in the protruding portion 113. In this position, the mounting bracket 100 and insert 202 are in a pre-assembly configuration in which the mounting bracket 100 and insert 202 can be slid into an opening in a component.

[0036] Fig. 6C illustrates an arrangement in which the protruding portions 113 are deflected inward into the internal cavity 126 when the mounting clip 100 is pushed into an opening of a component, and the retaining portions 112 are deflected inward by engaging the opening. In this case, the verification elements 204a, 204b are moved toward each other by the protruding portion 113. In this example, the verification elements 204a, 204b intersect.

[0037] As in Fig. 6D, the verification elements 204a, 204b are engaged (i.e., connected) with each other. This engagement may be via engagement elements 206 provided on one or both of the verification elements 204a, 204b. While the verification elements 204a, 204b are engaged, the retaining portions 112 return to their original position protruding through the windows 110 once the retaining portions 112 have passed through the opening in the component. The engagement of the verification elements 204a, 204b allows the insert 202 to be inserted further into the internal cavity 126 and past the retaining portions 112 of the mounting bracket 100. This provides verification that the mounting bracket 100 is properly mounted in the opening 52 of the component 50 without the insert 202 protruding through the bracket body 102 or the retaining portions 112.Thus, no slots or openings are required in the clip body 102 or the retaining portions 112 for the insert 202 to extend therethrough, which increases the pull-out resistance of the fastening clip 100.

[0038] The engagement via the one or more engagement elements 206 can be a frictional engagement and / or a locking engagement. The engagement elements 206 are provided to temporarily hold the pair of verification elements 204a, 204b engaged while the protruding portions 113 return to their original position protruding through the windows 110. The insert 202 can therefore be pushed further into the internal cavity 126 of the fastening clip 100. This provides verification that the fastening clip 100 is correctly mounted in the opening 52 of the component 50. When the engagement elements 206 are in a locking engagement, this locking can be temporary, reversible, or permanent. The engagement elements 206 can, for example, include one or more of hooks, snap fasteners, or adhesives.

[0039] Although the fastening clamp 100 in this example, which is shown in Fig. 6A to Fig. 6D, has spring legs on the second portion 122, it is contemplated that the assembly verification method is applicable to a mounting bracket 100 having end portions 128 instead of spring legs. Fig. 7 illustrates how the legs 210 of the insert 202 engage the end portion 128, particularly the end portion 128 at the second bend 138.

[0040] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described embodiments are provided by way of example only and are not limiting in any way, and that various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Various changes to the above-described examples are possible.

[0041] Throughout the description and claims of this patent application, the words "comprise" and "contain," and variations thereof, mean "including, but not limited to," and are not intended to exclude, and do not exclude, other portions, additions, components, integers, or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this patent application, the singular includes the plural unless the context requires otherwise. In particular, when the indefinite article is used, the patent application is to be understood to include both the plural and the singular unless the context requires otherwise.

[0042] Features, integers, properties, compounds, chemical moieties, or groups described in connection with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example of the invention are to be understood as applicable to any other aspect, embodiment, or example described herein, unless inconsistent therewith. All features disclosed in this patent application (including all accompanying claims, abstracts, and drawings) and / or all steps of a method or process so disclosed may be combined in any combination, except for combinations in which at least some of these features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not limited to the details of the aforementioned embodiments.The invention extends to any novel feature or combination of the features disclosed in this patent application (including the appended claims, abstract or drawings) or to any novel feature or combination of the steps of a method or process so disclosed.

Claims

[1] Mounting bracket for mounting in an opening of a component, the mounting bracket comprising: a staple body having a first end, a second end, and a pair of side walls extending from the first end to the second end and defining an interior cavity of the staple body, each side wall being provided with a window; a pair of retaining portions extending from the side walls at the second end of the clamp body, each of the retaining portions comprising: a projecting portion projecting through the window in the respective side wall and deflectable into the inner cavity of the clamp body when the fastening clamp is mounted through the opening of the component, and an end portion provided within the inner cavity of the clip body and extending toward the first end; and a head portion provided at the first end of the clip body and projecting from the side walls, the head portion having an opening; wherein each of the pair of side walls has a projection projecting into the interior cavity, the projection maintaining a distance between the end portion of the retaining portion and the side wall for inserting a removal tool between the end portion of the retaining portion and the side wall to deflect the retaining portion for removing the fastening clip from the component. [2] The fastening clip according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the projection and the end portion is less than a distance between the side wall and the end portion. [3] The fastening clip according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the projection and the end portion of the holding portion are configured to guide a removal tool therebetween. [4] A fastening clip according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the end portion extends substantially parallel to the side wall towards the first end of the clip body. [5] Fastening clip according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the end portion has a substantially U-shape. [6] A method of disassembling the fastening clip according to any one of claims 1 to 5 from an opening in a component, the method comprising: Inserting a removal tool having a pair of spaced gripping elements in an insertion direction into the opening in the head portion of the fastening clip; Extending the removal tool in the insertion direction within the inner cavity of the staple body toward the second end of the staple body such that the pair of gripping elements of the removal tool are guided along the pair of side walls and received between the side walls and the end portions; Actuating the removal tool to move the gripping elements towards each other, whereby the end portions of the holding portions are guided towards each other and the projecting portions are deflected into the inner cavity of the staple body; and Pull back the removal tool in a withdrawal direction opposite to the insertion direction to remove the retaining clip from the component opening.

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