Rib clip

A retaining clip comprising a “U”-shaped body having a pair of legs flexibly connected at their bottom ends and spaced apart sufficiently to receive therebetween a blade fastener having formed therethrough an aperture;

• a pair of head projections, each head projection being connected to and extending laterally from a top end of the respective legs;
• a pair of detent structures, each detent structure extending laterally from an exterior surface of the respective legs at a predetermined distance from the head projection of each leg;
• and
• a pair of retaining tabs, each retaining tab being disposed within and extending inwardly from a tab aperture formed through each leg, the retaining tabs being inclined toward the bottom ends of the legs and being further constructed and arranged to permit the blade fastener to be inserted and retained therebetween, the retaining tabs engaging the blade fastener in such a manner that a withdrawal force applied to the blade fastener is opposed by the retaining tabs substantially in compression, the retaining tab forming an acute angle with the blade fastener as the withdrawal force is applied to the blade fastener.

A mechanism for securing together a first panel and a second panel, the mechanism comprising:

• a retaining clip having a “U”-shaped body formed of a pair of legs flexibly connected at their bottom ends and spaced apart sufficiently to receive therebetween a blade fastener having formed therethrough an aperture, each of the legs having extending laterally from an exterior surface thereof a head projection that is secured to the end of each of the legs and a detent structure that is positioned on the respective legs a predetermined distance from the head projections, each leg further having formed therein a tab aperture having disposed therein a retaining tab that extends from adjacent the head projection inwardly toward the bottom of the legs, the retaining tabs being constructed and arranged to permit the blade fastener to be inserted therebetween and to thereafter engage the blade fastener in such a manner that a withdrawal force applied to the blade fastener is opposed by the retaining tabs substantially in compression, the retaining tabs forming an acute angle with the blade fastener as the withdrawal force is applied to the blade fastener, the retaining clip being first engaged with the blade fastener, the blade fastener being itself secured to the second panel and the assembled retaining clip and blade fastener subsequently being inserted into a window formed through the first panel so as to secure the second panel to the first panel.

A retaining clip comprising:

• a “U”-shaped body having a pair of legs flexibly connected at their bottom ends and spaced apart sufficiently to receive therebetween a blade fastener;
• a pair of head projections, each head projection being connected to and extending laterally from a top end of the respective legs;
• a pair of detent structures, each detent structure extending laterally from an exterior surface of the respective legs at a predetermined distance from the head projection of each leg;
• and
• a pair of retaining tabs, each retaining tab being disposed within and extending inwardly from a tab aperture formed through each leg, the retaining tabs being inclined toward the bottom ends of the legs and being further constructed and arranged to permit the blade fastener to be inserted and retained therebetween, the retaining tabs engaging the blade fastener in such a manner that a withdrawal force applied to the blade fastener is opposed by the retaining tabs such that substantially all of the withdrawal force is borne by the retaining tabs in compression.