Clip

Abstract

To provide a clip that eliminates the risk of rattling even when a large load is applied to the clip in a twisting direction, and has excellent stability and engagement characteristics.SOLUTION: A clip 4 is used to attach a vehicle interior trim 1, such as decorative or functional parts, to a rectangular hole 11 provided in a vehicle body panel 10. The clip 4 comprises a body 40 that is attached to the vehicle interior trim 1, and a plurality of locking parts 44 that is integrally formed with the body 40 and pressure-weld against the rectangular hole 11. The plurality of locking parts is characterized by having two or more locking parts 44 that protrude from both side surface in a width direction of the body 40 via a gap S and are arranged at positions adjacent to at least one set of right and left corner parts of two sets of right and left corner parts of the rectangular hole 11, and on an upper end of which an anti-drop claw 45 and a locking claw 46 capable of clamping the hole edge of the rectangular hole (11) are formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a clip used in the field of vehicles, and particularly to a clip suitable for attaching vehicle interior accessories such as decorative members and functional parts to a vehicle body panel by a pushing operation. [Background technology]

[0002] 10 shows the clip disclosed in Patent Document 1, where (a) is a diagram of the clip alone and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the clip attached to an assist grip and engaged with a rectangular hole in a vehicle body panel. This clip 11 is attached to an assist grip 1, which is an interior component of a vehicle, and is attached by pushing locking portions 13 on both sides into rectangular holes (fitting holes) 24 in a vehicle body panel 23. That is, the clip 11 has a U-shaped main body 12 and locking portions 13, 13 that are bent from the ends of both U-shaped wall portions 34 of the main body 12 via bending portions 14 and press against the rectangular hole 24.

[0003] The protruding end of each locking portion 13 is provided with a locking claw (retaining portion) 19 and a fall-prevention claw (prevention portion) 21 that can clamp the edge of the rectangular hole 24. The protruding end side of each locking portion 13 is partitioned by two vertical slits 15 and has locking pieces 16 arranged on the left and right, and a stopper 17 arranged between the slits 15. The upper side of each locking piece 16 is provided with an inclined portion 18 whose upper end is bent toward the wall portion 34, and a locking claw 19 that is positioned at the base of the inclined portion 18 and protrudes upward by being cut and bent. The upper end of the stopper 17 has a fall-prevention claw 21 that protrudes in a direction away from the wall portion 34.

[0004] After the main body 12 of the clip 11 is attached to the assist grip 1 as shown in Figure 10(b), it is pushed into and engaged with the rectangular hole 24 in the vehicle body panel. During this process, the clip 11 is inserted into the rectangular hole 24, and the locking portions 13 on both sides are pressed against the edge of the rectangular hole 24. The clip 11 is also attached to the panel 23 with the inclined portion 18 pressed against the edge of the hole on the back side of the panel as shown in the figure, and the panel is clamped from the front and back by the anti-fall claws 21 and the locking claws 19. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-65524 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when the above clip is used in a mounting structure for a vehicle interior part such as an assist grip, although the four locking claws can maintain the mounting strength against excessive loads in the direction of removal of the assist grip from the panel, there is a risk of misalignment or rattle due to excessive loads in the direction of rotation or prying. This is due in particular to the fact that there is only one anti-drop claw between the locking claws, making it difficult to increase the clamping force between them.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a clip that has excellent stability and engagement characteristics and does not slip or rattle even when a large load or stress is applied to the clip in the rotational or prying direction. Other objects will become clear in the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1, when specified with reference to the drawings, is a clip 4 used to attach a vehicle interior part 1 such as a decorative item or functional part to a rectangular hole 11 provided in a vehicle body panel 10, the clip comprising a main body 40 attached to the vehicle interior part side, and a plurality of locking portions 44 formed integrally with the main body 40 and pressed against the rectangular hole 11, the plurality of locking portions being protruding from both widthwise sides of the main body via a gap S and positioned adjacent to at least one pair of left and right corners of the two pairs of left and right corners of the rectangular hole 11, and having at their upper ends anti-fall claws 45 and locking claws 46 that can clamp the edge of the rectangular hole 11.

[0009] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the present invention be embodied as follows. (1) The two or more locking portions are configured so that the fall prevention claws are close to the side of the main body and the locking claws are farther away from the side of the main body than the fall prevention claws (Claim 2). (2) The main body is formed in a substantially U-shape, and the plurality of locking portions are provided on both sides in the width direction of the opposing U-shaped portions of the main body (claim 3).

[0010] (3) The main body and the plurality of locking portions are integrally formed from a plate material, and each locking portion is connected to both sides of the U-shaped middle portion of the main body (claim 4). (4) The vehicle interior accessory is an assist grip that can be switched between a storage position and a use position via a holding member, and the clip is configured to be assembled and supported by a vertical wall provided on the holding member (Claim 5). [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the invention of claim 1, in particular, the clip has a configuration in which two or more locking portions are arranged at the left and right corners of the rectangular hole, and a configuration in which the clamping force of the locking claws and anti-fall claws can be increased equally on the left and right sides, so even if a large load is applied in the rotational or prying direction of the vehicle interior part, it is less likely to rattle than conventional products, and has excellent stable holding properties and engagement characteristics.

[0012] In the invention of claim 2, two or more locking portions bring the fall prevention claws closer to the side of the main body and the locking claws are farther away from the side of the main body than the fall prevention claws, so the locking positions of each locking claw can be positioned close to the four corners of the rectangular hole in the vehicle body panel, as can be inferred from Figure 4. As a result, with this structure, the locking positions of the four locking claws in total can be set close to the four corners of the rectangular hole in the vehicle body panel, so even if a large external force is applied in the rotational or prying direction from the vehicle interior parts, deformation of the rectangular hole edge or the locking portions is unlikely to occur.

[0013] In the invention of claim 3, multiple locking portions are provided on both widthwise sides of the opposing U-shaped pieces of the clip body, so that the effect of claim 2 can be obtained more reliably.

[0014] In the invention of claim 4, the clip body and the multiple locking portions are integrally formed from a plate material, so that even if the clip has multiple locking portions, anti-fall claws, and locking claws, it can be easily mass-produced.

[0015] In the invention of claim 5, the clip of the present invention can be used in place of a conventional clip, and an assist grip of high quality can be provided that can prevent rattling or slippage even when a large load is applied to the clip in the prying direction, thereby improving reliability and versatility. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show an assist grip according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a rear view of the assist grip, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the assist grip as seen from direction A. [Figure 2]1A is a schematic diagram of the assist grip with the grip body in the storage position as viewed from the panel side (not shown), and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the grip body in the usage position as viewed from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of the assist grip. [Figure 4] 1(a) is a schematic external view of the clip alone, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic view showing the positions of the locking portion, locking claw, and anti-falling claw relative to the rectangular mounting hole in the vehicle body panel. [Figure 5] 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F show details of the clip, with (a) being a top view, (b) being a front view, (c) being a side view, (d) being a rear view, and (e) being a bottom view. [Figure 6] 1(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the initial state of the installation operation in which the assist grip is positioned so that it faces the rectangular hole on the panel side in order to attach the assist grip to the vehicle body panel, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the intermediate state in which the grip body is being pushed in the direction of the arrow. [Figure 7] 1(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the assist grip attached to a vehicle body panel, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram of the main parts of the assist grip, showing the relationship between the rectangular hole in the vehicle body panel and the clip's locking portion. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B show modified examples of the clip, in which (a) is a schematic external view of the clip alone, and (b) is a schematic view showing the positions of the locking portion, locking claw, and anti-falling claw relative to the rectangular hole in the vehicle body panel. [Figure 9] 1A to 1E show details of the clip of the above-mentioned modified example, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view, (d) is a rear view, and (e) is a bottom view. [Figure 10] This is Patent Document 1, where (a) shows FIG. 2 of Document 1 and (b) shows FIG. 10 of Document 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this description, the clip of the embodiment disclosed in Figures 1 to 7 will be explained first, followed by the clip of the modified embodiment disclosed in Figures 8 and 9. Furthermore, each clip of the embodiment and modified embodiment is an example of a configuration for attaching an assist grip, as an example of a vehicle interior accessory, to a vehicle body panel by a pushing operation.

[0018] 1 to 7, the assist grip 1 includes a grip body 2 consisting of a gripping portion 20 and curved end portions 21 on both sides, a holding member 3 rotatably attached to each end portion 21 via a shaft 8, a clip 4 attached to the holding member 3 and engaged with a rectangular hole 11 in a vehicle body panel 10, a torsion coil spring 5 that biases the grip body 2 toward the storage position, a damper 6 that damps the rotation speed of the grip body 2, and a cover 7 that attaches the clip 4 to the holding member 3. Of the main components, the clip 4 is made of a metal plate material, but it may also be made of resin or the like. The holding member 1, grip body 2, holding member 3, and cover 7 are molded resin products, but materials other than resin may also be used.

[0019] Here, the grip body 2 has a roughly U-shaped central portion serving as a grip portion 20, and recesses 22 are formed on the rear side of both longitudinal ends 21. A holding member 3 is disposed in each recess 22 so as to be rotatable about the shaft 8 as a fulcrum, and the grip body 2 can be switched between a storage position in which the holding member 3 is placed on the rear side of the end 21 as shown in FIG. 2(a) and an operating position in which the holding member 3 is raised approximately 90 degrees from the end 21 as shown in FIG. 2(b). Furthermore, shaft holes 23a and 23b are formed coaxially on the opposing outer and inner surfaces of each recess 22. The shaft hole 23a penetrates from the inside to the outside, allowing the shaft 8 to be inserted from the outside. The shaft hole 23b has a recessed shape to receive the end of the shaft 8. In addition, in Figure 3, the left recess 22 is provided with a spring locking hook 24, and the right recess 22 is provided with a step 25 (see Figure 6) that fits with a protrusion 6b provided on the outer cylinder of the damper 6.

[0020] The holding member 3 has a rectangular base plate 30 located approximately midway between the top and bottom. On the upper side of the base plate 30, there are provided a standing wall 31 protruding perpendicularly from the center, ribs 32 protruding on the left and right sides of the standing wall 31, a shaft 33 protruding from the protruding end surface of the standing wall 31, insertion holes 35 on both sides of the standing wall 31 penetrating downward between the ribs 32, steps 34 one step higher protruding outward from each insertion hole 35, and protruding convex portions 34 on both sides of the steps 34. On the lower side of the base plate 30, as shown in Fig. 6, there are provided a support portion 36 protruding along the lower edge, a through hole 36a opening in part of the support portion 36, and left and right leg portions 37 (see Fig. 2) protruding on both sides below the support portion 36 and between which a coil spring 5 or a damper 6 is disposed.

[0021] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the clip 4 is formed by pressing a metal plate. It includes a generally U-shaped main body that is attached to the retaining member 3 and multiple locking portions 44 that are integrally formed with the main body and press against the rectangular hole 11 in the vehicle body panel. The main body consists of two opposing U-shaped halves 40 and an intermediate portion 41 that connects the halves 40. The multiple locking portions 44 are provided on both sides of the halves 40 in the width direction, i.e., four locations. The upper halves of the halves 40 are wider than the lower portions, and each of the wider halves has a rectangular insertion hole 42 through which the connecting portion 7a of the cover 7 (described later) passes. Pressing portions 40a protrude inward from the opposing upper edges of the insertion hole 42 and abut against the connecting shaft 7a of the cover 7. The intermediate portion 41 has a fitting hole 43 in its center through which the shaft 33 of the retaining member passes.

[0022] The multiple locking portions 44 protrude from both widthwise sides of each piece 40 with a gap S therebetween, and are provided so as to become wider from bottom to top. Each locking portion 44 is capable of being pressed into contact with the rectangular hole 11 in the vehicle body panel, is arranged adjacent to two pairs of left and right corners that define the rectangular hole 11, and has anti-drop claws 45 and locking claws 46 formed at the upper end so as to be able to clamp the edge of the rectangular hole 11. Each locking portion 44 is connected to both sides of the U-shaped middle portion 41, and is provided so that the anti-drop claws 45 are close to the corresponding side surface of the piece 40 and the locking claws 46 are farther away from the side surface of the piece 40 than the anti-drop claws 45.

[0023] Here, the fall prevention claw 45 and the locking claw 46 are formed to have the following relationship with respect to the rectangular hole 11. First, when the fall prevention claw 45 is pushed from inside the vehicle toward the rear side of the panel 10 while being elastically deformed as shown in Figure 7, the tip of the prevention claw gets caught on the front edge of the rectangular hole 11, preventing further pushing toward the rear side. Meanwhile, the locking claw 46 penetrates the rectangular hole 11 while being elastically deformed, and at the same time, returns to its original state and is locked to the rear side of the panel 10 so that it cannot be pulled out, as shown in the same figure.

[0024] (Assembly) The clip 4 described above is assembled to the holding member 3 via the cover 7. In this operation, when each piece 40 of the clip 4 is inserted into the corresponding insertion hole 35 of the holding member 3, the upright wall 31 is positioned inside both pieces 40, and the shaft 33 is fitted into the fitting hole 43. From this state, the clip 4 is attached to the holding member 3 while being prevented from coming off by the cover 7. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , the cover 7 has a connecting shaft 7a protruding from the inner surface and an engaging piece 7b provided at the upper end of the connecting shaft 7a so as to be swingable via a gap 7c. When the connecting shaft 7a is inserted into the insertion hole 42 of one piece 40, the through-hole 36a of the support portion 36, and the insertion hole 42 of the other piece 40, the engaging piece 7b is pressed against the corresponding inner surface of the insertion hole 42 so as to be prevented from coming off, and the multiple pressing portions 40a are pressed against the connecting shaft 7a, thereby fixing the cover 7 to the holding member 3. When removing the cover 7, the engaging piece 7b is pressed toward the gap 7c and pulled out in a direction away from the holding member 3.

[0025] Furthermore, when two holding members 3, each with a clip 4 and a cover 7 attached, are assembled into the left and right recesses 22 of the grip body 2 using the coil spring 5 and shaft 8, or the damper 6 and shaft 8, as shown in FIG. 3 , the assist grip 1 is completed. Specifically, the holding member 3, each with the clip 4 and cover 7 attached, is placed in the left recess 22 together with the coil spring 5, and is rotatably assembled via the shaft 8. The shaft 8 is press-fitted into one shaft hole 23a of the end 21, a shaft hole (not shown) in one leg 37, the inner diameter of the coil spring 5, a shaft hole (not shown) in the other leg 37, and the other shaft hole 23b. The coil spring 5 is held around the axis of the shaft 5, with the other end 5b engaged with the latch portion 24 in the recess 22, and one end 5a engaged with the corresponding portion of the holding member 3 while increasing the biasing pressure. In this state, the shaft 8 is press-fitted and fixed in the shaft hole 23a, etc., and the grip body 2 is rotated to the storage position by the biasing force of the coil spring 5 as shown in FIG. 2(a), etc.

[0026] Meanwhile, the retaining member body 3, to which the clip 4 and cover 7 are attached, is disposed in the right recess 22 together with the damper 6, and is rotatably assembled via the shaft 8. In this case, the shaft 8 is again press-fitted into the one axial hole 23a of the end 21, the axial hole (not shown) of the one leg 37, the inner diameter 6a of the damper 6, the axial hole (not shown) of the other leg 37, and the other axial hole 23b, as can be inferred from FIGS. 2 and 3 . The damper 6 is configured so that the inner and outer cylinders rotate relatively while receiving resistance from the hydraulic oil. As shown in FIG. 6 , the damper 6 is disposed between the legs 37 in the recess 22 with the protrusion 6b on the outer cylinder engaged with the engagement groove 25 in the recess 22. As the grip body 2 rotates from the storage position to the use position and vice versa, the rotation of the outer cylinder is damped by the hydraulic oil filled between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. The grip body 2 rotates while receiving a predetermined resistance due to the braking action of the damper 8 via the retaining member 3. In particular, the grip body 2 is rotated by hand against the biasing force of the coil spring 5 to the use position as shown by the dotted diagonal lines in Figure 7, and when the hand is released, the biasing force accumulated in the coil spring 5 causes the grip body 2 to rotate again to the storage position shown by the solid line. At this time, with this structure, the grip body 2 is braked by the damper 6 and rotates slowly, improving usability and a luxurious feel.

[0027] (Operation) The above assist grip 1 has the following advantages. (1) In basic operation, the grip body 2 is rotated by hand against the biasing force of the coil spring 5 to the use position as shown by the dotted diagonal lines in Figure 7, and when the hand is released, the biasing force accumulated in the coil spring 5 causes it to rotate again to the storage position shown by the solid line. In this switching operation, the grip body 2 is braked by the damper 6 and rotates slowly, providing ease of use and a sense of luxury. Of course, when in the storage position, the grip body 2 is pressed against the vehicle body panel 10 or the trim 9 covering its surface by the biasing force of the coil spring 5, so there is no risk of it rattling even when subjected to vibrations during driving.

[0028] (2) In operation of the main parts, the grip body 2 is attached in a state in which the clip 4 attached to the holding member 3 is pushed into engagement with the rectangular hole 11 in the vehicle body panel, as in the conventional case. In this embodiment, the clip 4 is provided as locking portions 44 at a total of four locations, protruding from both widthwise sides of each piece portion 40 of the body with a gap S therebetween, as shown in FIG. 7. These four locking portions 4 are disposed in positions adjacent to two pairs of left and right corners of the rectangular hole 11, as shown in each of FIGS. 4 and 7(b). Moreover, each locking portion 44 is formed at its upper end with a drop-off prevention claw 45 and a locking claw 46 that can clamp the edge of the rectangular hole 11. As a result of these, in this structure, the clip 4 has four locking portions 44 arranged to correspond to the left and right corners of the rectangular hole 11, and the clamping force of the locking claws 46 and anti-fall claws 45 can be increased equally on the left and right, so even if a large load is applied to the assist body 2 in the prying direction, the assist grip 1 is less likely to rattle than conventional products, and has excellent stability and engagement characteristics.

[0029] (3) The above-described locking portion 44 has the anti-fall claws 45 close to the side of the piece 40, which is the main body, and the locking claws 46 farther away from the side of the piece 40 than the anti-fall claws 45, so that the locking positions of the locking claws 46 can be positioned close to the four corners of the rectangular hole 11 in the vehicle body panel 10, as can be inferred from Figure 4. Therefore, this structure is excellent in that the locking positions of the total four locking claws 46 of the locking portion 44 can be set close to the four corners of the rectangular hole 11, so that even if a large external force is applied from the grip main body 2 in the rotational or prying direction, the edge of the rectangular hole 11 and the locking portion 44 are less likely to be deformed. (4) This clip 4 can be easily formed, for example, by press processing using plate material, with the U-shaped two pieces 40 that form the clip body, the four locking portions 44, and the anti-drop claws 45 and locking claws 46, making it suitable for mass production.

[0030] (Modification) Figures 8 and 9 show a modification of the clip described above, corresponding to Figures 4 and 5. In the description of this modification, parts that are the same as or similar to those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted as much as possible.

[0031] The clip 4A of the modified example has one fewer locking portion than the clip 4, for a total of three. That is, the locking portion of the clip 4A is composed of two locking portions 44 provided on both sides in the board width direction of one of the opposing U-shaped pieces 40, and one locking portion 47 defined by a gap S1 in approximately the center of the other piece 40. A drop-off prevention claw 48 and a locking claw 49 are integrally provided at the tip of the locking portion 47.

[0032] In this modified example, there are a total of three locking portions 44, 47, and the locking positions of the two locking portions 44 can be set to positions close to the two corners of the rectangular hole 11 in the vehicle body panel 10, so although it is somewhat inferior to the example form, it can prevent unintentional rattles or shifts even if a large external force is applied from the grip body 2 in the rotational or prying direction.

[0033] The clip of the present invention may have the configuration specified in the claims, and the details can be further developed with reference to the embodiments and modifications. As an example, the assist grip in the embodiment is attached to the vehicle body panel via a trim, but it may also be attached via a spacer or the like instead of the trim. Furthermore, the vehicle interior material of the present invention is not limited to an assist grip, but may also be a functional component such as a hook or a display, various decorative components, or similar components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1. Assist grip (vehicle interior part) 2. Grip body 3. Holding member 4,4A···Clip 7. Cover 8. Shaft 9. Trim 10 Body panel 11... Rectangular hole 20...Gripping part 21... Longitudinal end 22. Recess 30... Circuit board 31. Thrust wall (thrust wall section) 37... Legs 40... One side (main body) 41 Middle part (main body) 43 Anti-slip claws 44 Locking part 45 Anti-slip claws 46 Locking claw 47 Locking part 48 Anti-slip claws 49 Locking claw S, S1: Gap

Claims

1. A clip used to attach vehicle interior accessories such as decorative items and functional parts to rectangular holes provided in a vehicle body panel, the clip includes a main body attached to the vehicle interior part, and a plurality of locking portions formed integrally with the main body and pressed against the rectangular hole; The clip is characterized in that the multiple locking portions are protruded from both side surfaces of the main body through gaps, are positioned adjacent to at least one pair of left and right corners of the two pairs of left and right corners of the rectangular hole, and have at their upper ends anti-fall claws and locking claws that can clamp the edge of the rectangular hole.

2. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the two or more locking portions are arranged so that the fall prevention claws are closer to the side surfaces of the main body and the locking claws are farther from the side surfaces of the main body than the fall prevention claws.

3. 3. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the main body is formed in a substantially U-shape, and the plurality of engaging portions are provided on both sides in the width direction of the opposing U-shaped portions of the main body.

4. 4. The clip according to claim 3, wherein the main body and the plurality of locking portions are integrally formed from a plate material, and each locking portion is connected to both sides of a U-shaped intermediate portion of the main body.

5. The clip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vehicle interior part is an assist grip that can be switched between a storage position and a use position via a holding member, and the clip is attached to a vertical wall provided on the holding member.

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