GB1584220A - Clips - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CLIPS (71) We, USM CORPORATION of Flemington, New Jersey, United States of America, a Corporation duly organised under the laws of said State of New Jersey, having a place of business at 140 Federal Street, Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to clips, and more particularly to clips of a kind adapted for use in retaining a decorative trim round a windscreen bonded to the margin of an aperture in a panel, for example of an automobile body.

In the assembly of an automobile body, it is common practice to set front and rear glass windows (commonly called the windshield or backlight glass) within a rubberlike gasket engaging the marginal edges of the glass, the gasket being cemented or otherwise attached to the glass and edges of the body panel adjacent the opening provided for the glass. In so attaching the glass to the body panel, there is a marginal gap produced between the body panel and the glass which is generally of varying dimensions due to mass production techniques, and would therefore be considered unsightly if left to view in the final construction.

This opening is generally covered by a trim in the form of a resilient moulding of sheet metal or other composition, which is attached to the body and positioned to bridge the gap between the body panel and the windshield, or backlight structure.

Various techniques have been employed to attach this moulding such that it will be firmly in contact with the body panel and the windshield or backlight, and will remain so during the life of the automobile. One such method is to provide a plurality of clips which are retained on button-headed studs attached to the body panel.

While these prior art devices have proved satisfactory in achieving their desired result, a need has arisen to provide a suitable clip which does not require the assembly of button-headed studs to the panel, but still will function to retain the moulding in resilient engagement contacting the glass and the body panel. Such need has arisen especially in automobile production lines where the windscreens or backlights are bonded to the body panel of the automobile structure by a bead of adhesive which leaves the edge of the glass exposed.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved clip for use in retaining a decorative trim, for example a moulding, round a window of an automobile to cover the gap which would otherwise be visible between the window and the body panel.

There Is hereinafter described in detail to illustrate the invention by way of example a clip adapted for use in retaining a trim round a windscreen bonded to the margin of an aperture in a panel, the clip comprising a body portion having a bottom surface for engagement with a surface of the panel surrounding the periphery of the windscreen and spaced from the edge thereof and a pair of resilient wings extending away from each other and upwardly from the body portion. The disposition of the wings of the illustrative clip is such that to install the clip in the gap between the windscreen and said surface of the panel the wings have to be spread widely apart, and when they are so flexed and released they bear resiliently against the edge of the screen. The tips of the wings of the illustrative clip are so shaped that they provide abutment members one or other of which can lip over the rear of said edge of the screen and thus retain the clip from falling out. The illustra tive clip also has a resilient tab disposed to project forwardly from the body portion when the clip is installed, one or more lips on the underside of the tab being provided to assist retention of the trim.

By using a plurality of the illustrative clips for securing a trim round a windscreen of an automobile, in which the screen is bonded to the panel around the windscreen aperture, slips can be installed in the gap between the screen and surrounding surface of the panel and held there by resilience of the wings with their tips lipped over the rear edge of the surface screen whatever, within a reasonable range, is the distance between the screen and the margin of the panel to which is it bonded, and the trim retained by interengagement with the forwardly projecting tabs.

The invention provides a clip adapted for use in retaining a decorative trim round a windscreen bonded to the margin of a panel around an aperture for the windscreen, the panel having a surface at right angles to said margin surrounding the periphery of the windscreen and spaced by a gap therefrom, comprising a body portion and a pair of resilient wings extending away from each other and upwardly from the body portion so that, by flexing the wings downwardly, the clip can be inserted in the gap between the periphery of the windscreen and the surrounding surface of the panel, the body portion of the clip bearing against said surface and against said margin of the panel and trips of the wings bearing against the windscreen, each wing terminating at its tip in a plurality of abutment members one or other of which can lip over the rear edge of the windscreen, depending on the spacing of the windscreen from said margin of the panel, to retain the clip from falling out, the clip also having a resilient tab projecting forwardly from the body portion and having a lip at its underside for engagement of a flange of the trim.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of the illustrative clip aforementioned. It will be realised that this illustrative clip has been selected for description by way of example and not of limitation of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the illustrative clip; and Figure 2 is a side elevation, partially in section, showing the clip of Figure 1 installed in the gap between a glass structure and an automobile body panel.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown the illustrative clip 80 which has a body portion provided with a pair of resilient wings, 82 and 84, extending away from each other and upwardly from the body portion, being angled slightly outwardly from the body portion. Each of the wings 82 and 84, is provided at its free end with a plurality of abutment members in the form of locking fingers, 86 and 88, extending in the plane of the respective wing, 82 or 84.

Two elongated resilient fins 90, 92 extend upwardly from the upper surface of the body portion to a point adjacent the centre of the clip 80. Each of the fins 90 and 92 extends from a point on the body portion adjacent a respective wing, 82 or 84; they are directed toward one another, to provide free surfaces adjacent the centre of the clip 80. The fins 90 and 92 are each provided with a respective prong, 93, 94, adjacent the free end thereof, and formed at the rear corner of the outer surface of each fin.

At the forward side of the illustrative clip 80, there projects forwardly a tab 95. The tab 95 is formed in part by a pair of slots extending into the body of the clip 80 to provide for a greater flexibility of the tab when in the operative position. The tab 95 is provided with a curved surface 96 and a laterally extending notch 97.

The tab 95 also has a resilient spacer arm 98 which extends rearwardly and upwardly from the forward end of the tab 95 and terminates in a relatively thin end portion 99.

The end portion 99 of the spacer arm 98 is disposed substantially normal to the upper surface of the body portion of the clip 80 and may extend to at least the height of the resilient wings, 82 and 84, in their unflexed state.

The illustrative clip 80 is conveniently moulded in one piece from a plastics material, for example the acetal resin marked as "CELCON" 17-19, "CELCON" being a trade mark of Celanese Corporation. However, it is understood that the clip 80 may be manufactured of any suitable material which will provide a flexural quality to those elements described as resilient.

In employing the clip 80 in a typical automobile construction, the clip is utilised to retain a decorative moulding 68 having opposed inturned flanges on to an automobile panel 34. The body panel 34 includes an "L" shaped recess provided by a surface 35 adjacent a flange 36, called a pinch weld, which forms the marginal edge of the windshield or backlight opening, in the automobile body. In the structure shown, a backlight window glass structure 38 is attached to the flange 36 by means of a rubber gasket 40 having a surface cemented to the glass structure and an opposite surface cemented to the flange 36.

In assembling the glass structure 38 to the automobile body, the glass structure and gasket 40 are affixed to the flange 36, and a caulking or sealing compound 42 is applied to the inner surface of the glass structure 38, adjacent the gasket 40. The compound 42 is wiped level with the bottom surface of the structure 38. The sealing compound 42 employed may be any suitable compound well known in the art used for this purpose, such as a urethane compound, and is generally of a type that remains flexible or tacky for several hours after application, before setting up.

Due to the tolerance variation in the glass structure 38 and the opening defined by the surface 35, and taking into consideration the mass production practices employed in assembly of these elements, the gap between the bottom edge of the glass structure 38 and the surface 35 may vary. With the glass structure 38 affixed to the panel 34, a plurality of clips 10 are inserted between the surface 35 and the bottom of the glass structure 38. With a large gap between the structure 38 and the surface 35, the clip 80 is inserted with very little flexure taking place in the wings 82 and 84; with a small gap, there will be more flexure.

There is another variation in the fabrication of the glass structure to the body panel 34 which occurs. This variation is known in the trade as "high glass" or "low glass". The glass is considered to be "high glass" when there is a relatively large gap between the glass structure 38 and the flange 36. In contrast the "low glass" condition occurs when there is only a small gap between the glass structure 38 and the flange 36.

As is evident in viewing Figure 2, clip 80 is able not only to accommodate the differences in spacing between the glass structure 38 and the surface 35, but is also capable of forming itself to provide the same firm attachment whether the glass is in the "high" or "low" condition. Thus, with the glass in the "low" position, one of the fingers 86, 88 nearest the flange 36 lip behind the corner of the glass structure 38, whereas with the high glass configuration, one of the fingers further from the flange 36 would do so. In any event, the clip is retained from falling out from the gap.

Thus, each of the wings 82 and 84 is flexed outwardly with the locking fingers 86 and 88 tending to snap into locking engagement behind the glass structure 38 as they are introduced behind the glass structure, whether the high or low condition prevails.

Moreover, the fins 90 and 92, are forced inwardly and downwardly, with the prongs, 93 and 94, also snapping behind the glass structure 38 to provide stability for the clip.

With the plurality of the clips 80 fixed in stabilised relation between the surface 35 and the glass structure 38, the metallic moulding 68 is snapped into position, as shown in Figure 2.

It will be noted that the resilient spacer arm 98 is fashioned to extend to a position wherein the end portion 99 is disposed between the edge of the moulding 68 and the glass structure. This accomplishes two purposes, in that the spacer prevents any objectionable noise which would occur should the metal of the moulding 68 rub against the glass structure 38, and additionally, a space is provided between the moulding 68 and the glass for circulation of air therethrough, to carry off moisture which may collect in the moulding during use of the structure.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A clip adapted for use in retaining a decorative trim round a windscreen bonded to the margin or a panel around an aperture for the windscreen, the panel having a surface at right angles to said margin surrounding the periphery of the windscreen and spaced by a gap therefrom, comprising a body portion and a pair of resilient wings extending away from each other and upwardly from the body portion so that, by flexing the wings downwardly, the clip can be inserted in the gap between the periphery of the windscreen and the surrounding surface of the panel, the body portion of the clip bearing against said surface and against said margin of the panel and the tips of the wings bearing against the windscreen, each wing terminating at its tip in a plurality of abutment members one or other of which can lip over the rear edge of the windscreen, depending on the spacing of the windscreen from said margin of the panel, to retain the clip from falling out, the clip also having a resilient tab projecting forwardly from the body portion and having a lip at its underside for engagement of a flange of the trim.

2. A clip according to Claim 1 comprising resilient means extending upwardly from said body portion between the wings.

3. A clip according to Claim 1 in which said resilient means is provided by two resilient fins, each fin emanating from a locality of said body portion adjacent a respective one of the wings and the two fins extending upwardly towards each other to engage the edge of the windscreen above a central part of the body portion.

4. A clip according to Claim 3 which is substantially symmetrical about a transverse centre line through said body portion.

5. A clip according to Claim 1 which also comprises a thin resilient spacer flap projecting upwardly from said tab for engagement with the front face of the windscreen, the flap being long enough to lie between the windscreen and an upper margin of the trim which would otherwise itself bear on the windscreen.

6. A clip according to Claim 5 the spacer flap of which, in the unflexed state of the clip, extends from the tab at least to the height of the wing tips.

7. A clip adapted for use in retaining a decorative trim round a windscreen bonded to the margin of a panel defining an aperture for the windscreen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. before setting up. Due to the tolerance variation in the glass structure 38 and the opening defined by the surface 35, and taking into consideration the mass production practices employed in assembly of these elements, the gap between the bottom edge of the glass structure 38 and the surface 35 may vary. With the glass structure 38 affixed to the panel 34, a plurality of clips 10 are inserted between the surface 35 and the bottom of the glass structure 38. With a large gap between the structure 38 and the surface 35, the clip 80 is inserted with very little flexure taking place in the wings 82 and 84; with a small gap, there will be more flexure. There is another variation in the fabrication of the glass structure to the body panel 34 which occurs. This variation is known in the trade as "high glass" or "low glass". The glass is considered to be "high glass" when there is a relatively large gap between the glass structure 38 and the flange 36. In contrast the "low glass" condition occurs when there is only a small gap between the glass structure 38 and the flange 36. As is evident in viewing Figure 2, clip 80 is able not only to accommodate the differences in spacing between the glass structure 38 and the surface 35, but is also capable of forming itself to provide the same firm attachment whether the glass is in the "high" or "low" condition. Thus, with the glass in the "low" position, one of the fingers 86, 88 nearest the flange 36 lip behind the corner of the glass structure 38, whereas with the high glass configuration, one of the fingers further from the flange 36 would do so. In any event, the clip is retained from falling out from the gap. Thus, each of the wings 82 and 84 is flexed outwardly with the locking fingers 86 and 88 tending to snap into locking engagement behind the glass structure 38 as they are introduced behind the glass structure, whether the high or low condition prevails. Moreover, the fins 90 and 92, are forced inwardly and downwardly, with the prongs, 93 and 94, also snapping behind the glass structure 38 to provide stability for the clip. With the plurality of the clips 80 fixed in stabilised relation between the surface 35 and the glass structure 38, the metallic moulding 68 is snapped into position, as shown in Figure 2. It will be noted that the resilient spacer arm 98 is fashioned to extend to a position wherein the end portion 99 is disposed between the edge of the moulding 68 and the glass structure. This accomplishes two purposes, in that the spacer prevents any objectionable noise which would occur should the metal of the moulding 68 rub against the glass structure 38, and additionally, a space is provided between the moulding 68 and the glass for circulation of air therethrough, to carry off moisture which may collect in the moulding during use of the structure. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A clip adapted for use in retaining a decorative trim round a windscreen bonded to the margin or a panel around an aperture for the windscreen, the panel having a surface at right angles to said margin surrounding the periphery of the windscreen and spaced by a gap therefrom, comprising a body portion and a pair of resilient wings extending away from each other and upwardly from the body portion so that, by flexing the wings downwardly, the clip can be inserted in the gap between the periphery of the windscreen and the surrounding surface of the panel, the body portion of the clip bearing against said surface and against said margin of the panel and the tips of the wings bearing against the windscreen, each wing terminating at its tip in a plurality of abutment members one or other of which can lip over the rear edge of the windscreen, depending on the spacing of the windscreen from said margin of the panel, to retain the clip from falling out, the clip also having a resilient tab projecting forwardly from the body portion and having a lip at its underside for engagement of a flange of the trim.

2. A clip according to Claim 1 comprising resilient means extending upwardly from said body portion between the wings.

3. A clip according to Claim 1 in which said resilient means is provided by two resilient fins, each fin emanating from a locality of said body portion adjacent a respective one of the wings and the two fins extending upwardly towards each other to engage the edge of the windscreen above a central part of the body portion.

4. A clip according to Claim 3 which is substantially symmetrical about a transverse centre line through said body portion.

5. A clip according to Claim 1 which also comprises a thin resilient spacer flap projecting upwardly from said tab for engagement with the front face of the windscreen, the flap being long enough to lie between the windscreen and an upper margin of the trim which would otherwise itself bear on the windscreen.

6. A clip according to Claim 5 the spacer flap of which, in the unflexed state of the clip, extends from the tab at least to the height of the wing tips.

7. A clip adapted for use in retaining a decorative trim round a windscreen bonded to the margin of a panel defining an aperture for the windscreen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to

the accompanying drawings.