Molding retainer
AssigneeUSM Corporation
InventorEngelbert Anthony Meyer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device is provided for resiliently retaining an end portion of a decorative trim molding onto an automobile body panel wherein the molding is aligned with a similar molding on a bumper member, the bumper member being mounted for movement relative to the automobile body, on impact. The device allows the end portion of the molding member to move outwardly from the body a distance to allow the aligned molding on the bumper to move past it, thereby preventing buckling of the body panel molding. The device is effective to return the molding to the aligned position on the body after a plurality of such impacts.
Claims11
In an automobile body and bumper assembly wherein relative movement takes place between a body panel and bumper, each of which carries a portion of an aligned molding thereon, the improvement comprising;
- a resilient member for receiving the molding on the body panel in engagement therewith near the body molding end adjacent the aligned molding portion on the bumper, and means affixing said resilient member to the automobile body panel whereby movement of the bumper relative to the body is effective to cause the body molding to move away from the body by causing flexure of said member.
A member for resiliently retaining an end portion of a molding onto a panel comprising a thin sheet of metallic material for extending along the length of said panel molding between the molding and the body panel, means disposed at one end of said sheet for attachment of said sheet to the molding near a free end of said molding, a slot formed about a portion near the periphery of said sheet to form a resilient tongue having a free end near the opposite end of said sheet from said means for attachment to said molding, said tongue having a portion thereof formed to extend outwardly of the panel from a point in the area of attachment to said molding, to a point adjacent the free end of the tongue, and means for attaching said tongue to said panel near the free end of said tongue whereby said resilient member is pre-stressed to force said molding against said panel with said molding attached to said resilient member and said tongue affixed to said panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.