FR2536128A1 - Elastic clip for fixing a panel to a support - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns an elastic clip for fixing a panel to a support. The said clip 10 in the shape of a U or V is intended to fix a projecting portion 18 of an element in an opening 28 of another element 26. The clip has a guiding portion to be introduced in the opening 28, with locking lips which must be blocked against the projecting portion 18, as well as a retreating portion which, passed over the said projecting portion 18, comprises opposing locking shoulders 46, 48 which butt against the lateral delimitations of the opening 28 in order to lock the projecting portion 18 in the latter. The lips hold the clip on the projecting portion. The element having this projecting portion 18 can then be fixed to the element 26 having the opening 28 by simply introducing the clip 10 in this opening and pushing together the said elements in order to adjust the clip by clipping into the opening. Application especially to securely clipping movable elements together.

Description

 The present invention relates to non-threaded fastening members of the clip type intended to retain a panel on a support by securing these elements by snap-fastening. More particularly, the invention relates to a force fit of the projecting part of a panel or of a cover in an opening of the slit type made in a support, by means of a spring steel clip.

 The prior art has already proposed for a long time to forcibly assemble one element to another by means of a staple having locking lugs which can be fixed to one or both of these elements. These clips or fasteners are made of spring steel, as illustrated in patent US-3 977 048 or US-4 043 579. Fasteners by clip other types are also intended to secure by snap-fastening elements of different configurations , part of the clip then fitting the general outline of one of these elements. This is illustrated in US Patent 4,175,303. As shown in US Patent 3,659,320, materials of other types, such as plastics, have also been used to secure one element to another.

 It can therefore be seen that many different types of fastening means with elastic clips have been used for various applications and are designed to be able to be adapted to specific conditions and to particular applications. They are designed to ensure ease of use and to quickly assemble parts to each other, especially in cases where fasteners of the threaded type cannot be used due to restrictions on available space, or in the cases where the fixing element itself must not be visible.

 However, none of these fixing members makes it easy to insert a projecting part of one of the elements into the slot of another element by securing these elements by snap-fastening, while simultaneously allowing disassembly or dissociation of these elements without any special tools.

 In the field of elastic staples, the invention aims to provide a means for fixing one element to another using an elastic clip adjustment snap, these elements can be disassembled easily.

 Another object of the invention is to fix a projecting part of a panel or other decorative object in an opening made in a support, by means of an elastic clip which is locked on said projecting part and which has shoulders of locking acting against said opening to snap-fit the panel to its support, while allowing this panel to be removed from said support.

 The one-piece elastic clip has opposite sides which are substantially symmetrical, with elongated branches which are arranged opposite one another, occupy central positions and are designed to be placed in a state of charge on the opposite sides of the projecting part of an element of the panel type. Locking tabs, shorter, located opposite each other and supp-ortées on each side of said elongated branches, have spouts which are intended to lock in each of the faces of the projecting part, in a state of charge so securing the clip to said projection. The elongated legs are provided with a guide edge occupying an inclined position in order to insert the clip into the opening of a support, as well as a trailing edge with a retaining angle intended to act against the sides of the opening in order to secure the clip and the projecting part of the panel in the opening of the support. The respective guide and trailing edges of the elongated branches meet in rounded shoulders which are subjected to a tension against the sides of the opening in order to fix the clip in the latter, while allowing said clip to be released from said opening. The shoulder of the elongated branches is of sufficient length to allow variable spacing between the panel and the support.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting examples and in which
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective of the panel and the support with the clip according llfuveetion fixed to the projecting part of said panel
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective of the staple of the invention while we place this dèrnière on the projecting part of the panel
Figure 3 is a perspective view with partial section showing the clip which retains the projecting part of the panel in the opening of a support
Figure 4 is a schematic elevation of the clip of the invention illustrated at rest when it is about to be threaded on the projecting part of the panel
FIG. 5 is an exploded section showing the clip according to the invention locked on the projecting part of the panel and on the point of being inserted into the opening of a support;
Figure 6 is a fragmentary section illustrating the panel and the support secured by means of the clip of the invention;
Ra FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation with partial section representing the panel and the support retained one on the other by a clip of modified modification form having double branches of glass, tool occupying central positions. = that the left part of this figure illustrates the clip in its rest position and the right part of said. figure shows said clip locked either on a smooth support or on a support provided with a fabric cover such as a carpet; and
FIG. 8 is a plan view of: the modified staple shown in FIG. 7.

Although the description below, refers to
fixing a panel to a support, it is obvious that any element such as a cover, a housing, a plate or another type of object having a projecting part can be fixed in the opening of a support by means of the clip according to the invention which is described in detail below.

 The drawings illustrate the clip 10 according to lginven- tin made of spring steel and having a U or V configuration. This clip 10 has opposite sides 12 and 14 substantially symmetrical which are intended to be placed on the opposite sides of a protruding part 18 supported, for example, by a panel 16. This panel 16 as illustrated on the cheeks or consoles 20 and 20 ′ which act as a support for the protruding part 18 and contribute to positioning the clip on this protruding part, as will appear from what follows.

 The panel 16 also has reinforcing ribs 22 which act as spacers for placing the panel at a correct distance from the support, in order to allow the staple to be secured in said support.

In the case where the panel type element does not have ribs such as the ribs 22, additional supports may be provided such as ribs 24 to reinforce the projecting part and act as spacers.

It is also possible to use other types of spacers associated with the clip according to the invention, which fulfill the functions of reaction element to the action of said clip on the support element, as will become apparent from the description below.

 The support member can be of any type, for example consisting of a gear shift column, a speaker box, etc. in a motor vehicle. The support 26 illustrated has an elongated opening or slot 28 provided with delimitations 30 and 32 against which the clip 10 acts to connect the panel 16 to the support.

 The clip 10 is a single piece, essentially symmetrical and made of an elastic metal plate. This: clip has elongated branches 34 and 36, which, occupying central positions, have parts 38 and 40 with a guide angle and parts 42 and 44 with a trailing angle, which join to form rounded locking shoulders 46 and 48 arranged at a predetermined locking angle depending on the application for which the staple is intended. The parts 42 and 44 are provided with guide zones 50 and 52 rounded outwards to facilitate the positioning of the staple on the protruding part, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The elongated brakes 34 and 36 are connected to their guide edges by a rounded region 54 which extends over the entire length of the clip and constitutes the main support of the locking parts of the said clip assembly.

 On either side of the elongated branches 34 and 36, protrude locking tabs 56 and 58 adjacent to the branch 34, and de-locking tabs 60 and 62 adjacent to the branch 36. These adjacent tabs are made ~ mutually face and are connected, as shown, by the region 54 forming the main support of the clip.

The locking tabs are essentially of similar configuration1 and each of them has a guide edge 64, a trailing edge 66 and a locking spout 68 disposed away from the face of said trailing edge 66. Each of the trailing edges 66 is provided with a rounded guiding zone 70 which is curved towards the outside to facilitate the insertion of the clip onto the projecting part of the panel. As illustrated, the locking tabs 68 on the side 12 of the clip are located on the external face of the latter, while the locking tabs 68 on the side 14 of said clip occupy internal positions in the vicinity of the elongated legs. better locking effect and better lateral stability of the clip when it is placed on the protruding part. It can thus be seen that, when the clip is completely threaded on the protruding part, these elongated branches 34 and 36 are subjected to a load against the protruding part, and that the locking beaks 68 are also blocked against said protruding part 18 by through their respective tabs, to secure the clip to the protruding part.

 As shown in FIG. 49 when the clip 10 is at rest, its two sides 12 and 14 are intimately in contact with one another or else are brought close to each other, the locking nozzles 68 being also in contact. When the staple is threaded onto the protruding part 18 by the rounded guide zones 50 and 52 in contact with said protruding part, and when said staple is forced to open, its elongated branches 34 and 36 separate, which allows to said clip to overlap said projecting part. When this clip slides from top to bottom on the projecting part, the rounded guide zones 70 of the locking tabs 56 to 62 abut against said projecting part, thus forcing the locking tabs on the opposite sides 'of the clip to' separate, which allows said clip to fully cover said protruding portion, as shown.

In this assembled state, the locking beaks 68 'bite 5' in the faces of the projecting part of the panel to subject the clip to this projecting part. When the protruding part 18 is equipped with ribs, the latter have the purpose of helping the user to properly position the clip on this protruding part.

 Once the clip is in the preassembled state on the protruding part, the panel can be placed on the support by inserting the clip into the slots or openings 28 and pushing this panel towards said support. Initially, the locking tabs 56 to 62 pass through the slot 28 / since they are shorter and narrower in the region of their, trailing edge 66. When the members are moved together, the elongated branches are forcefully brought together by the sides of the slot or opening, until the locking shoulders 46 and 48 snap into this opening and the spacers (or ribs) abut against the support.

Under these conditions, the locking shoulders act against the sides of the slot and the spacers act as a reaction point for the force of the clip in said slot or opening. In this assembled state, the ends of the guide zones 70 of the legs 56 to 62 have also completely passed through the slot or opening 28.

 As illustrated in the drawings, since the clip acts on the slot and is subjected to a load causing the reaction point on the spacer, it is possible to use a specifically studied angle, locking shoulders 46 and 48 to give a particular clip greater flexibility of operation. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the support 26 could also include an additional decorative cover such that a mat and the locking shoulders would continue to be on the outer edges of the slot, thereby locking the panel on Because the shoulders bear against the opening in an area a (Figure 6), the panel 16 can be moved away from the support 26 by a distance corresponding to this area a and the clip 10 then continues to maintain these elements in the assembled state.

 it should also be noted that the locking effect exerted by the rounded shoulders of the clip against the sides of the slot-also makes it possible to separate the assembled elements by applying a simple pull to spread them apart. autre9 without using any special tools. The elongated branches are forcefully brought together until the locking shoulders' release from the sides of the slot, and the elements can thus be dissociated. Under these conditions, the clip according to the present invention is easily adaptable to be used in cases where it may be necessary to separate the elements, for example to gain access to the internal space of the support.

In many cases of application of this clip proposed by the invention, it is advisable to use more than one
single protruding part and a single slot for fixing the panel to the support. In such cases, the slots can be made longer than the staples to facilitate
the positioning of the projecting parts in said slots
and centering or setting up the panel in the way
desired in relation to the support.

It should also be noted that, due to
the grip exerted on the projecting part by the legs
opposite locking provided with spouts and by branches
elongated locks occupying central positions,
better lateral stability is possible
elements when the elongated protrusion is in the slot of the support In addition D the framework of this
The invention provides that pairs or sets of opposite elongated legs 34 and 36 can be used to enhance the holding power of the clip in the opening of the
This can also be achieved by using a larger area in the center of the clip
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an alternative embodiment in which are provided double locking arms 72 and 74 opposite and occupying central positions. The elongated arms 72 extend outward further away from a main support region 75 of the clip than the shorter locking arms 74, so as to form a double locking means to accommodate different thicknesses of a support 76, as will emerge below.

 This clip is also intended to retain the projecting part 80 of a panel 82 in an opening or slot 78 of the support 76. A spacer member 84 on said panel also acts as a reaction point for the clip when the panel is retained. on the support. This clip is also retained in its position on the projecting part of the panel by means of locking tabs 86 and 88 which function in the same way as the locking tabs 56 to 62, as illustrated in the drawings.

 The longest locking arms 72 have o-pposed guide zones 90, 92 and opposite trailing zones 94, 96 which join to form opposite locking shoulders 98. These shoulders 98 act on lateral edges 102 and 104 of the slot or opening 78 in the same manner as the locking shoulders 46 and 48. this is the action exerted by the clip when used with a smooth panel support. When the panel is placed on a support of greater thickness (for example a support covered by a fabric or a carpet), the locking arms 74 of the clip are used to retain the panel on the support.

 The locking arms 74 have opposite guide parts 106 and 108 and opposite trailing parts 110 and 112, which join to form locking shoulders 114. These locking shoulders 114 act against lateral edges 116 and 118 of the opening 78 made in the support, in the same way as the other staple locking shoulders. Therefore, when the clip is placed on a support of greater thickness, the locking shoulders 114 of the shorter arms 74 opposite in central positions act against the opening of the support, since these locking shoulders are arranged internally. In addition, the locking shoulders 98 are flattened or stripped in a region 100, outwardly beyond the locking shoulders 114, so that when the clip is placed on the thicker support, said shoulders 114 are fully capable of acting on the edges of the opening of this support. These shoulders can therefore act on openings of variable depth formed in the support. When the clip described above is used on the lighter support, the shoulders 98 act on the lateral edges 102 and 104 of the opening and the shoulders 114 act on the edges 116 and 118 of the latter, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The clip can thus fulfill the functions of a double or double-acting locking member.

This expands the range of uses for this clip.

 I1 goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the clip described and shown, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

 1. Elastic clip for retaining the projecting part of a panel in an opening in a support, clip characterized by the fact that it comprises  a) opposite (substantially symmetrical) sides (12,14; 72,274; 86.88) intended to be locked against the faces of said projecting part (18 s 80)  b) a main support region (54; 75), rounded and central, mutually connecting said ribs (12, 14; 72,74; 86,88) to substantially give said clip (10) the shape of a U or of a V  c) elongated branches (34.36 9 72.74), opposite and occupying central positions on said sides (12.14;  72.74; 86.88), with rounded locking shoulders (46.48; 98; 100; 114)  d) individual locking tabs (56, 58; 60, 62; 86, 88) which, opposite and substantially symmetrical on each of said sides (12.14 9 72.74 - 9 86.88), are arranged in the vicinity of said central branches (34,36, 72,74) such that the locking tabs (56,68; 60, 62; 86,88) on one of said sides are opposite the locking tabs of the other side  e) locking spouts (68) provided on each of said locking tabs (56.58; 60.62; 86.88) and intended to lock in the loaded state against the faces of the projecting part (13 g 8b) 9 and by the fact that said locking shoulders (46,48 9 98; 100 9 114) extend outwards away from one another and are intended to ensure locking against the edges (30 , 32; 116, '118) of the opening (28; 78) formed in the support (26; 76), so as to retain the projecting part of the panel (16 82) in said opening of the support, while allowing disassemble said panel from said support.  2. elastic clip according to claim 1, characterized in that its sides have a guide edge (38.40; 90.92) and a trailing edge (42.44; 94.96) with guide zones ( 50.52) bent outwards on said guide edge (38.40 9 90.92) in order to facilitate threading of said clip (10) on the projecting part (18; 80).  3. elastic clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking spouts (68> on one (12; 72; 86) on its sides are arranged externally and the locking spouts (68) on its opposite side (14; 74; 88) are arranged internally near the branches (34,36; 72,74) occupying central positions.  4. Elastic clip according to claim .1 ,. characterized in that the branches (34,36; 72,74) occupying central positions are substantially in contact with each other when said clip (10) is at rest and are intended to be subjected to a load against the faces of the projection (18 9 80) porque said clip (10) is in place on this projection (18 9 80).  5. elastic clip according to claim 1, characterized in that a spacer (22 24; 84) 'in contact with the support (26; 76) and with the panel (16; 82) cooperates with said clip (10) for exerting a load on the locking shoulders (46.48 9 98 100; 114) against the edges (30.32 9 116.118) of the opening (28; 78) formed in said support (26 9 76) .  6. elastic clip according to claim 1., characterized in that the branches (34, 36.; - 72.74). occupying central positions form several. adjacent sections with juxtaposed locking shoulders (46,48 9 98; 100; 114) located away from each other outwards so that the clip (10) can retain the panel (16 9 82) on ies supports (26; 76) of variable thickness.  7. Elastic clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the branches (34, 36; 72, 74) occupying central positions are double adjacent, individual and opposite branches having locking shoulders located at the away from each other on said adjacent legs such that the locking shoulders (46,48; 98; 100; 114) of said clip  (10) can act on openings (28; 78) of variable depth formed in the support.